Worst Behavior
by undisguised
Summary: Modern AU / CH6. Where Are They Now?: Dogs and Dignity edition.
1. New

_A really long A/N: Okay so obviously I don't own the show lol_

 _This is actually the first thing I've written in all of my life, and in retrospective it's pretty bad but it gets better... I think._

 _I feel the need to clarify some things first, it indeed does take place in 2K15, but I decided that the four nations become an invididual country of the Asian continent, the nations becoming regions instead and republic city being like the main region/capital, now where they live is just like a small city from republic city, it sounds confusing but I'll let y'all figure that one out._

 _Now for classes: Sokka (17), Suki (17), Zuko (18), Mai (17), Ty lee (17) are seniors. Katara (17), Toph (16), Aang (16), Azula (17) are juniors, I didn't want there to be like a really big age gap because and I doubt a senior would be friends w/ a freshman LBR._

 _And now for personality... there is no war, they're not warriors, so obviously some things personality wise are going to change but not that much, in general they are more shallow, undecisive and promiscuous than in the show because you know... they are teenagers instead of kids._

 _Some characters are purposely OOC (mostly minor characters), and now looking back at it a lot of the characterization is wrong, but I'm definitely trying to get it right as the story progresses._

 _Also all pairings are canon, and TyZula omg, but other pairings will make appearances too first, but it's def mostly one-time things._

* * *

Katara was sitting on her brother's blue soccer mom _Honda Civic_ , waiting for the owner himself. Her dad was out of town and she just got her driver's license. Sokka wanted to drive, but there was no way she would let him, he only got his license a month ago after nine tries, and she really desired to arrive to her first day of school in only one piece.

The girl was painting her nails, carefully trying not to ruin her favorite teal dress.

"You know sokka! We could be a little more late if you want!" Katara shouted. She closed the baby blue bottle of nail polish and turned on the radio, working her way through various stations until she finally found one that was playing what had to be the latest hit.

Sokka finally stepped into the car, sporting a ponytail that drove attention to both shaved sides of his head. He wore ripped jeans, a plaid blue shirt above what had to be the most hideous T-shirt ever.

"Wait a second, is that a boomerang man shirt?" Katara pointed at his brother. "You have got to be kidding me."

"Hey, chill! What's wrong with it?" Sokka raised his hands up to his torso signaling the piece of clothing.

Katara rolled her eyes. "Forget it, We're late anyways."

"I could always go get changed if you are so embarrassed!" Sokka stated mockingly; wanting to bother her, he started smooching the air around her.

"Stop!" The blue eyed girl started moving her arm all around him trying to shove him out of the car.

"Hey katara! Stop doing that, we're going to be late," He teased. Then started to tap the front of the car as if it were a drum, creating a rhythm that complemented the song.

Katara squinted at him, trying to figure out what was his intention.

"Love me like you do, Lo-Lo Love me like you do! Touch me like you do..." Sokka's voice was really off key, which made Katara cringe to no end. She couldn't help but cover her ears.

"Shut up... You sounds like a walrus."

Sokka patter his sister on the head. "Thanks, I happen to love walruses."

* * *

The road was clear, showing no sing of cars but a pink convertible with a license plate that read _TYLOVE._ Inside the car there were four teenagers, all dressed in variants of the color black and red.

The girl riding shotgun didn't hesitate to complain to the driver. "Ty lee, could you drive this thing any faster?"

"What's the problem Azula? It's not like we're late," The pink girl rejoiced.

Azula scoffed. "I just want to arrive fast so we can finally stop listening to this _Miley Cyrus_ nonsense!"

"What's so wrong with her? We could always listen to _One D_ , if you want!" Ty Lee smiled, always so optimistic.

Two teenagers sitting on the backseat of the pink car snickered.

Azula gave a smirk to one of them through the rear-view mirror. "ZuZu, I'm sure you hate this kind of music as much as I do, but are you willing to support it just to be sitting next to Mai?"

Mai rolled her eyes and sighed

"You know what? That's _IT_ ," Zuko snapped. "It's your fault I have to ride with you! In case you haven't noticed. So Ty lee, stop the car! I'll drive and we will listen to _MY_ music!" He was tired of his sister's schemes, it was enough with the constant favoritism in his house, he shouldn't get to be humiliated in front of his sister's friends, that was just _straight up_ pathetic.

Despite not being any of their friends, none of Azula's friends were shocked at Zuko's sudden outburst of emotion, in fact, they were used to his hot-blooded nature due to the many years of friendship they shared with Azula.

Mai figured that letting him drive in his actual state wouldn't be a good idea- actually him doing _anything_ in his actual state would be a bad. Knowing Ty Lee's ineptitude regarding everything, Mai interfered before she let Zuko do anything stupid. "I'll drive and we will listen to Azula's music, is that okay with you Zuko?"She asked as if she were dealing with a slow child, because technically she was.

"Um, sure?" Zuko said as he scratched his neck.

Ty lee giggled. "Mai you're so good at solving problems!"

* * *

The school was already open for students, so they could acquire their schedule and locker combo. Thanks to this, the front patio was practically abandoned except for a few students, who worked as tour guides for new students.

A short blind girl and a tall bald boy with arrow tattoos all over his body, were sitting on a concrete bench.

The girl dug through the pockets of her leather jacket a cigarette. She didn't hesitate to stuck it between her lips and light it up with her new Cuban lighter. No smoking was allowed on school ground, but most teachers were at the teacher lounge and the inspectors were making sure there was no trouble on the hallways and considering that ninety percent of the people giving tours around school were nerds looking for extra credit, there was supposedly no danger around this area that should be taken care of. Even if there were inspectors around, it's not like she would care if she got caught, after all, she was already in detention and they couldn't give her more punishment, especially not to the daughter of the school's biggest benefactor.

The bald boy flinched upon the smell of smoke. "Toph if you're going to smoke, could you like, not blow it in my face?" The boy demanded lightly.

Toph rolled her eyes and proceeded to comment, "This wouldn't happen if you weren't vegan."

"What?" They boy furrowed his brows in confusion and tried to figure out what kind of relationship both things could have.

"Whatever," Toph grunted. Then added, "Aang if you're still mad about the whole detention thing, I honestly think you should get over it." The girl blew some more smoke at his face.

"Could you please stop doing that," Aang said, his annoyance levels rising, and shoved the smoke out of his way before he could breathe it in.

"I can't help it! I'm blind," Toph defended herself.

Aang sighed. "Sorry for snapping at you. I'm not complaining about showing students around, but when you're doing it out of obligation, I don't see what's worth it. This wouldn't have happened if I hadn't listened to you."

Toph irked at his last comment. "Aang I already said I'm sorry but you have to understand, I _did not_ make you do the prank! It was you choice!"

"Because you manipulated me," Aang retorted.

Half and hour passed and the friends kept fighting.

"Oh and for _your_ information, orange is not your color!" Toph exclaimed, "It makes you look bloated- DIBSONTHEGIRL."

"How is orange not my color! I've worn it all my life! And why are you calling dibs?" Aang was both offended and confused.

Suddenly two students approached them.

"Hey are you guys our guides?" The girl wearing a blue dress asked sweetly.

Aang smiled. "My name is Aang and that's Toph-"

"Hey," Toph said with a monotone voice.

"-And we will show around school and-"

"Yeah, yeah! I know that!" The boy tried to speed up the process. The girl elbowed him and told him not to be rude.

"The girl is with Toph and you are with me." Aang pointed at the guy. "Also what are your names guys?"

"I'm katara and the idiot is my brother Sokka." The girl with blue eyes pointed at his brother with her thumb.

"Katara, that's a nice name."

Sokka raised one eyebrow.

Aang sighed. "And so is Sokka."

Sokka smirked. "So what do you have planned for us today LoverBoy?"

"I'm going to show you around school, what else did you expect?" Aang questioned him.

Toph interrupted. "Hey Sugar Queen, we could skip school if you want?"

"What?" Katara was taken aback by sudden suggestion.

" _Chillax_ , it was a suggestion. Plus it's not like we have classes, at least not real ones," Toph joked.

"Katara, live a little!" Sokka demanded. "Maybe we could exchange partners. Don't you think?" The brother suggested.

"Thanks?" Aang crossed his arms.

Toph shook her head to decline. "It's against the rules."

"Aww come on!" Sokka pleaded. Suddenly he felt a tug on his shirt.

"You heard her buddy, let's go!" Aang walked to the school's entrance with sokka dragged by the shirt.

* * *

"Ty lee are you sure the GPS works?"

"Of course!" Ty lee smiled.

Mai grimaced, unsure of Ty lee's answer.

"Ty lee, I swear to god, if we arrive late I will personally kill you," Azula stated while devouring the whole package of fire flackes.

"There shouldn't be anything wrong with it." Ty lee announced. "In fact, it's brand new so it hasn't been programmed or anything!"

Zuko and Azula groaned in unison.

"You idiot!" Zuko yelled. " That's why we're going nowhere!"

"Hey!" Azula smacked zuko in the head with snack's bag. " Don't shout at Ty lee like that! I'm the only one who can do that!"

Mai looked disgruntled. "Azula, I don't want any trouble. Could you please drive?"

Mai stopped the car and traded places with Azula, Once in the car, Azula left in full speed to where the school was supposedly located, no one really knew due to the fact that they were pretty much carried around by their personal chauffeur (except Mai, who took the bus) the privileges of being rich.

It was Ty lee's idea to drive her friends to school, she wanted to show off her "new" car. The car was like a family tradition, every time one of Ty lee's sisters graduated, the car was passed onto the younger one, so she was pretty excited. At first Azula was a little skeptical about joining Ty lee, but when she found out that Mai had asked for a ride, she purposely canceled on their personal driver in order to make Zuko join them. Azula had taken an habit to bother both Mai and Zuko once she found out Mai had a crush on him on 2th grade, her crush lasted a week.

"Azula, I think you should slow down," Mai suggested, uninnterested. "You don't have your license yet."

"Well, I'm getting it next week, so why not practice a little." Azula winked.

Suddenly, a grey smoke leaked out of the car's hood, its heat made the windows foggy making unable any view of the road which ultimately made Azula crash Ty lee's car against a tree.

* * *

"Toph, I don't know if anyone has ever told you this, but you suck at touring," Katara claimed as she tried to open her locker. "God! Why doesn't it open!?"

Toph put on a pair of earphones and rolled her eyes. She was beginning to regret not taking up Sokka's suggestion of changing partners. "I had that locker two years ago, it always happened. I wish I could tell you how to open it but I don't remember."

Katara sighed and threw her blue _kanken_ backpack to the floor in defeat. "Maybe if we hadn't taken a _shortcut,_ we wouldn't have been late to pick our lockers!"

Toph ignored Katara. She took out her Ipod classic and skipped a few songs Aang put on her device to " _expand her musical horizons"_. It annoyed her that he would mix up her Kanye West with his Coldplay _._ Most of the time she would try to make him feel guilty by saying he was taking advantage of her blindness- though, lately he has been more keen of ignoring her comments, if things went right with Katara maybe she would replace Aang as her personal guide dog, at least when it comes to uploading music into her Ipod.

"So what now?" Katara asked as she picked up her backpack.

Toph tilted her head to the right. "I don't know, what do you want to do?"

"I have history next, you could show me where my class is," Katara suggested.

"History? So do I." Toph took out her earphones and asked, " But are you sure you want to go?"

Katara sighed again. "Let me guess? You want to skip class."

Toph grinned and nodded in approval.

Katara loudly retrieved, "Well, that's not going to happen!"

Toph's jaw dropped, maybe Aang will stick with his guiding dog position after all. "Why not?" Toph asked, although it sounded more like a plea.

"Because it's irresponsible!" Katara barked. She placed the _Kanken_ on her back and marched trough the halls.

Toph followed Katara behind, or at least what was close to her. "How is having fun irresponsible?!" The blind girl argued.

"It just is!" Katara tried avoiding the topic.

"Ugh Katara! Why are you so Bigheaded?" Toph crossed her arms and furrowed her brow.

Katara turned around dramatically. "Bigheaded?!"

"You heard me!"

Katara stood there pouting until she finally gave in. "Fine, we'll go, but just an hour."

Toph hugged Katara's arm and cheered. "I knew you would do it!"

Katara rolled her eyes and smiled.

* * *

"Aang," Sokka said as he unfolded his schedule out of his green backpack, "I would normally make fun at you for being such a dweeb and arrive early for this locker thing, but I have to admit, having a good locker for once is nice!"

Aang grinned. "There is nothing wrong with following rules every once in a while."

Sokka observed the schedule and scowled. "I have science." He quickly changed his facial expression. "Do you want to-"

"We're not skipping school. There is a lot of people going to the mall already, do you really want to risk getting caugh-"

"Yes," Sokka responded without giving it a second thought.

Aang sighed. "Well, I don't. I'm going to show you your class."

"But Aaaaaaang," The water tribe boy pleaded. He was almost dropping to his knees.

"And that's final," Aang declared.

"Fine!" Sokka relented. he crossed his arms and stuck out his tongue to Aang.

Aang chuckled and patted Sokka's back. "Come on, you don't want to be late for science class."

Sokka grunted.

* * *

"Is everyone okay?" Zuko asked, he stood out of the car, fixing his ruffled hair.

"Yeah," Azula and Mai assented at the same time with a shrugg.

"I'm not!" Ty lee sobbed.

"What's wrong?" Mai joined Ty lee on the backseat to see if she was injured.

"My car is _ruined_!" Ty lee reported in between cries.

Azula blew out a strand of hair off her face in annoyance. Mai expressed the same feeling with a creased brow while she took a nail file out of Ty lee's backpack.

"Wow okay." Zuko held up his hands making a _calm down_ gesture.

Azula side eyed him. "Don't be annoying, I bet you would sound worse if this happened to you."

Ty lee interrupted, "Can we focus? You just crashed _my car_ into a tree, we have _no gas_ and we're _LATE!"_ Ty lee kept sobbing. "There goes my perfect attendance."

Azula's eyes widened. "I forgot about school."

"Should I call the police?" Zuko suggested.

"If you do that Azula will get arrested for driving without a license," Mai explained as she filed her nails.

"So?" Zuko said, followed by a smile. _That would be the best case scenario._

Mai ceased her nail file and sighed. "I'll call my dad, he can probably get us."She didn't really want to call him... but he was their only option left, she just hoped she wasn't interfering in any _life threatening business_ as her dad called it, lawyers are so dramatic.

Azula directed her voice at Mai. "You know I did not crash car, right? It was the car that failed so technically it was Ty lee's fault."

Typical azula, persuading poor little helpless Ty lee into feeling guilty. Now Ty lee sobbed even louder than before. "I'm sorry guys! Azula is right, it's all my fault."

"See!" Azula pointed out.

Mai wasn't appalled by Azula's lousy behavior, it was a part of her routine nowadays, sometimes she wished Azula would stop being so irritating but it's better to just let it be rather than to create petty fights, but despite that, she always felt the need to put Ty lee's _good aura_ a priority on her list.

Mai rolled her eyes and shifted her eyes off her phone. "Azula, it isn't her fault the car was in bad state either."

"You're right, it wasn't her fault the car was in such state, but it was her fault the GPS wasn't programmed. We could probably be at school right now." Azula directed the blame at Ty lee again.

Mai disagreed, "You think that's good? We would have crashed in front of everyone and that would have been embarrassing." Mai took the IPhone 6 out of her ear, sulking. "I don't have signal. Do any of you?"

The tree of them checked their phone, shaking their headsl.

"Great," Mai muttered as she ran her hand through her long untied hair.

Suddenly Azula came up with one of her _great_ plans. "We're not far from the mall, maybe someone could look for Uncle Fatso at his weird store and help us out."

Azula stared at Zuko waiting for him to offer joining the search party. Once Zuko caught her indirect, he just shrugged. "I'll do it if you come with me."

Azula quickly objected, "I can't Zuzu, I have to comfort Ty lee." Then, she ordered, "Mai, go with Zuko, I don't wan him to get lost."

Mai yawned. "Whatever, just let me get my backpack first."

* * *

"So how are we going to the mall?" Katara asked while being dragged uncomfortably -due to height difference- hand in hand by Toph.

"Don't worry, I know a couple of people who can see enough to not crash." Toph winked and Katara smiled at her eagerness.

After wandering around the parking lot for 5 minutes, the girls found a group of teenagers, all wearing Blue _Adidas_ tracksuits with red stripes on the sides, sitting on a table.

"Jet!" Toph called. "Wanna skip?"

"Who are they?" Katara mumbled in question.

They were five teenagers, judging by their sportswear, part of some kind of team. The leader, Jet, had dark skin and messy hair. Next to him was a girl, with a really weird haircut, she was talking to a guy, who seemed to listen yet never talked back. Behind them there were two guys, a chubby one and small freshman, having a burping contest.

"They're the freedom fighters, the school's debate team," Toph replied.

"Toph! Long time no see." Jet extended his fist to Toph, who hit it with a punch. "Who's the friend?"

"That's katara." Toph erroneously pointed at her friend. "I met her today. I was so supposed to guide her, but I convinced her to come." Toph whispered to Jet, "Be careful though, she's a saint."

"Hey!" Katara exclaimed with irritation. She accepted going on this "field trip", how much more rebellious could she get.

Jet gave the water tribe girl an amicable laugh. "Katara, don't worry we've all been there. You just got to loosen up, I promise we will have a good time."

Katara turned around to hide her blush. "I guess so."

"We don't have much time left," Toph reminded. "Let's go."

"Katara, Toph, since you guys are the smallest, shotgun is available for both. The others will go in the backseat."

The freedom fighters groaned.

Jet opened the car door for the girls. "Suit yourselves, ladies."

Toph rolled her eyes. "You are such a gentleman," The blind girl said with sarcasm.

Jet smirked. "I do what I can, don't I?"

* * *

Sokka slammed his head into Aang's locker repeatedly. "That was the longest class I've ever been to!" Sokka grunted. "Remind me not to go to school _ever_ again!"

Aang laughed. "Don't be so dramatic."

Aang and Sokka wandered through the halls until a girl bumped into Sokka.

"Hey! Watch it!"

The girl had auburn hair and blue eyes, she was really beautiful and Sokka would have probably flirted with her if she wasn't so mad, or looked like she could punch him.

"You were the one that bumped into me!" Sokka defended himself.

Aang interfered non-threateningly once he realized who the girl was. "Hey Suki!"

Suki directed her view at Aang and showed him a kind smile. "Hello Aang! I didn't see you there! I was busy fighting this idiot."

"I'm right here!"

Suki ignored him. "Anyways how was your summer?" Suki asked. She gave Sokka the cold shoulder and made a friendly posture to Aang that implied she was all ears.

"Oh, it was fine, you know same as always," Aang replied.

The pair talked for a few more minutes. Suki had to leave, for she was late for soccer practice.

"Rude much?" Sokka whined.

"Not really, Suki is great once you get to know her."

"Yeah, whatever." Sokka punched Aang in the arm. "Why didn't you tell me there was a soccer team?!" Sokka exclaimed excitedly.

Aang rubbed his arm trying to stop the pain. "Because I doubt you would made it in, you just bumped into the team's captain."

"A girl!?" Sokka scoffed. "But girls don't know how to play soccer!"

Aang grimaced. "Sokka, Suki has led 15 championship trophies home, I'm sure she can play."

Sokka's jaw dropped. "Aww man! I'm doomed."

"You can try out if you want to, though I don't guarantee you anything."

* * *

Zuko would probably kill his sister right now, if he wasn't so far away, if he wasn't so terrified of her, if he could come as close as to compete with her. He was not going to lie, his feet where hurting a lot but he couldn't complain, Mai was wearing platforms and didn't suffer, but then again, she only wears a straight face, so probably she wasn't showing it. Despite being friends with Azula, she was the _least_ annoying of her friends, mostly because she would actually leave him alone, unlike Ty lee, so he was glad that Azula made her come instead.

The silence that was going on was bothering him, he was surrounded by his sister's screams all the time, so the change of background was unrecognizable to put it that way. He didn't want talk, but for some strange reason he did.

"So um... How far do you think the mall is?" Zuko asked.

"I hope not far enough," Mai replied.

Zuko narrowed his eyes in confusion, he didn't know if that was an insult or not.

The next few seconds were followed by awkward silence.

"Nice weather?" Zuko tried breaking the ice once again.

"Is that a question or an statement?" Mai raised her brows in question. "No offense Zuko, but if you don't want to talk, you don't have to."

He really thought that Ty lee was the one that reads auras, was it that obvious he was nervous? It's okay, he was kind of more at ease now.

"Oh.. Okay," Zuko smiled with more confidence.

Mai smiled back.

* * *

Ty lee laid on the backseat of her car. She flipped the pages of a magazine, stopping every once in a while to comment to Azula how good she would look wearing certain outfits she found complemented her figure. Azula ignored most of her comment and continued trying to fix the car's motor.

Suddenly the hood of the car fell and hit Azula on the head. She groaned and held her hands to her head trying to make the pain stop.

"Ty lee! Make yourself useful and hold the hood please!" Azula ordered.

"Oh! Azula, you know I don't do such manly things!" Ty lee said as she flipped another page of the magazine.

Azula glared at Ty lee.

"Don't look at me that way! You were the on that crashed my car, you should fix it," Ty lee pouted and resumed her "reading".

Azula took one hand out of her head and gasped at the sight of blood. "You have got to be kidding me!"

Ty lee perked her ears up upon hearing Azula's cry. "What's wrong?" Ty lee asked, never leaving her eyes off her magazine.

"Just tell me where the first aid kit is!"

"But what happened?" Ty lee dramatically put down her magazine.

Azula bowed her head to show a medium sized scratch. Ty lee being a gymnast, she has experienced worse, so naturally she just shrugged it off and tossed her the kit.

Again, being a gymnast, Ty lee's strength was different so when she threw the kit, she wouldn't have imagined it would hit Azula hard enough to leave her unconscious.

"Azula!" Ty lee _jumped_ off the car and rushed her to her side. Azula didn't show any vital signs so she slapped her to see if she regained consciousness, but she did not move.

Ty lee gasped. "Oh my god! I think I just killed someone!"

* * *

Jet's car was full. Katara was holding Toph on her lap with a worried face, she didn't want jet to get into trouble for carrying to much people.

"Katara relax," Toph exclaimed, "You're acting like those massaging couches, stop moving!"

Katara apologized.

The car was crossing now a more secluded road.

The girl with a weird haircut squinted her eyes to look a little better. "Wait, is that Ty lee?"

"I think so. Wait, what is she holding?" The small freshman pointed out.

"I think it's Azula." Jet slowed down the car's velocity.

Katara was astounded. "I think she is dead!"

Jet kept staring at Azula's alleged dead body, then, he laughed when the dead girl winked at him. "False alarm, she's just playing."

"Oh." sighed The girl in the backseat. Apparently everyone hated Azula.

"Shouldn't we help them?" Katara asked. "I mean, their car is stranded."

Toph rolled her eyes. "Please, Azula would rather die than get in Jet's shitty car... No offense Jet."

Jet shrugged. "None taken."

The car moved a few kilometers until Jet slowed down again when he found a couple traveling down the road.

"Get a room you guys!" Jet shouted.

Mai rolled her eyes and Zuko got flustered. "Shut up!" Zuko yelled.

"Are you lost?" Jet asked with amusement.

"No, but our car broke down," Mai explained.

Jet grimaced. "Sorry but I don't know how I could help with that."

Zuko tried to keep up with car's pace. "You could drive us to the mall."

"Sorry Zuzu, we only have one spot left and I would rather give it to Mai anyways." Jet winked at the gloomy girl, who crinkled her nose in disgust.

"Don't be gross Jet! Just take us to the mall!" Zuko exclaimed with a sour face. He was about to jump into the car and beat up Jet.

Mai quickly caught up with Zuko and put a hand on his shoulder. "Zuko, let it go. Let's just walk. We need it anyways, we skipped Gym," Mai said soothingly.

"Aww..!" Katara cooed.

The two teenagers glared at her, she hid in shame behind Toph.

"Anyways... Bye _Jerko._ Bye babe!" Jet shouted before speeding off.

Zuko flipped him off.

"Who were they?" Katara asked Toph.

"The guy is Zuko, the girl is Mai. Zuko's dad works along my parents, and he has a sister, the one everyone thought was dead. Mai is friend with Azula, along with the pinky girl that was carrying Azula. They're really popular by default, except Zuko, who is like... just there."

"What do you mean _by default_?"

"They're rich, they're good looking and they're smart, so naturally people will like them. That's why Zuko isn't as popular, compared to his sister, he is practically an idiot," Toph explained.

"Aren't you all those things Toph? Doesn't that practically makes you popular _by default_?" Jet questioned the blind girl.

"Well, yes! Especially the good-looking part. But not everyone knows I'm rich. _And_ the reason I'm not popular _by default_ is because I'm blind, yet I'm still popular, but because I am a great person, unlike them," Toph elaborated.

Jet objected, "I don't think they're mean, Azula maybe, but because she is naturally a bitch. Ty lee is actually really nice and in Mai's defense, she doesn't care about anything."

"Since when is not caring about anything _nice_ ," Katara commented. "And you guys said I needed to loosen up."

"It's not the same Katara, we don't even know you that well and you're acting _pretty uptight_ ," Toph confessed.

"Uptight?! I think you should be careful with who you are talking to Toph, I could literally throw you out the window right now," Katara threatened.

Jet widened his eyes in shock. Toph laughed cynically. "If you aren't as snotty as you say, then maybe we could do something..." The blind girl challenged.

Katara raised one eyebrow in question. "What kind of something?

"Oh, you'll see. Only cool people do these things."

* * *

"Okay maggots! Form a line and focus. I'll be right back," Suki informed.

Suki sprinted into the nearest table and chugged down a whole bottle of water, she almost choked on it when she saw Aang and his friend arrive.

"Aang! I didn't know you wanted to join the team!" She was surprised, Aang wasn't into this kind of stuff, like team playing, which was kind of suspicious, he had a lot of musculature for someone that didn't do anything sport related.

"Actually, I came to-"

"Actually we're both joining the team," Sokka interrupted

"What?!" Aang froze at the spot.

Suki pressed her lips together in annoyance. "You guys are late for try outs."

Sokka lowered his head in disappointment while Aang internally thanked the spirits.

"-But I've never seen Aang play before, I guess I'll do an exception." Suki smirked. "Follow me!" She threw the empty water bottle into the trash can and motioned them to go where the other team players stood.

"Sokka!" Aang clenched his fist. "What did you do!?"

"You owe me! My sister is off to god knows where, meanwhile I'm stuck in school, the least you could is sacrifice your dignity so I could join the school team. You heard Suki, you're the only reason I'm even allowed to try out."

"Fine, I'll do it, but don't expect me to do anything. Also, that was kind of clever," Aang said with amusement.

Sokka grinned. "Can't expect nothing less from the best!"

* * *

"I still can't believe that idiot ditched us," Zuko fumed.

Mai sighed. "You can stop ranting now. We arrived."

The couple entered the mall and quickly stepped into the mechanical stairs.

Mai brushed a hair off her face and looked at Zuko awkwardly. "Before we met up with your uncle... I was wondering if we could go to H&M? I need a pair of shoes, these didn't survive."

"H&M? Umm, Sure. It's not like uncle is leaving this place." Zuko faked a smile. He wanted to go home as soon as possible, but he liked Mai and she accompanied him this far with no complaints. They still had a lot of time left, Zuko could wait for Mai to do her thing, she seemed less vapid than Ty lee, so he doubted she would take too much time.

"Great," Mai said, her voice less blunt than before. She grabbed his arm and dragged him upstairs. Her sudden approach made Zuko blush and grin like and idiot.

* * *

Ty lee was pacing around, rubbing her temples. _Could this day get any worse,_ she thought. _Probably!_

" _What do I do? What do I do?_ " She repeated over and over fearfully.

"If I stay with the body, I get tried for murder."

 _Think Ty lee, Think!_

"I could say it was self-defense, that she tried to kill me by crashing the car! God, _I'm so smart!_ " The girl kept talking to herself.

Her lightbulb quickly got shattered. "Crap, Mai and Zuko were in the car!"

She kicked the car's tire in frustration. "I guess I only have one solution left."

She held up Azula's body and crossed the road. It was pure "luck"that they got stranded in a rural area, where rocky hills could work as body disposals.

Ty lee placed Azula's body on the barrier dividing the road and the hill, now tearing up like crazy she decided to make a "little" speech.

"Azula, you may not be the greatest friend, you were rude, inconsiderate and sometimes annoying, you practically gave me a chronic migraine, but still, you were my best friend and despite what everybody said, you were the best." Ty lee made a pause to breathe and wipe the tears out of her eyes and the snot that was clogging her nostrils. "I will never forget all those moments we had! Like when we pushed Mai and Zuko into the your pool, or when we stuffed Jet into his locker after trying to hit on us! Or when we made out in your couch after watching that movie about-"

"I can't believe your still hung up on that, it happened like a week ago, get over it."

Ty lee gasped. "Oh my god! Now her ghost is haunting me just like in the movie!"

Azula rolled her eyes. "I'm not dead Ty lee, I just wanted to scare you. It was entertaining until you started getting all emotional."

"Oh!" Ty lee cried of happiness as she hugged Azula. "I missed you! I thought I was going to jail!"

"Ugh, clean your face. You look awful." Azula took out of her pocket a deposable handkerchief and handed it to Ty lee.

As if this day wasn't weird enough, when

Ty lee went to grab the object, she tripped on a rock and fell down the hill.

"Ty lee!" Azula screamed in horror. "Oh my god! Oh my god!"

"Azula! Calm down."

Azula looked down the barrier and saw Ty lee hanging onto a rock, safe enough to support her for an hour, maybe two.

"Oh. I thought you might have died," Azula said nonchalantly.

"I might as well die if you don't get me out of here!" Ty lee shouted.

Azula rolled her eyes as she slouched against the barrier. "Just wait, I'm sure that idiot Zuko would have found Uncle Fatso by now."

* * *

The debate team plus Toph and Katara, sat on a table located on the food court. The group were splitting two _KFC_ combos. Katara wouldn't admit it, but she was having a good time, they were very welcoming. Her relationship with Toph was a little rocky but she wouldn't deny having a soft spot for her, not taking her dares in count, she really showed affection to Katara, the small girl could be a pain in the ass but Katara accepted her no matter their differences.

"Okay, so what were your names?" Katara asked, pointing at each freedom fighter with a fry.

The girl with the weird haircut was Smellerbee. The mute boy was nicknamed Longshot. The big guy was Pipsqueak and the freshman kid was The Duke.

"Katara, where are you from?" Pipsqueak asked.

"I'm from the southern tribe," Katara replied as she dipped her fries on hot sauce.

"No kidding, why so much hot sauce then?" Jet joked, then asked, "Why did you move to Republic City?"

"My father partnered up with some guy named Ozai, so that's why we're here."

"That's the same guy my parent work with! Zuko's dad!" Toph commented while putting a handful of fries in her mouth.

"Do you have sisters by any chance?" The Duke wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

Katara laughed, "No, sorry! I have a brother, now if you're into that..."

"No thanks!" The duke answered with no hesitation.

Everyone laughed.

"I wonder what kind of stuff are your brother and Aang doing now?" Toph said with her mouth full.

Katara put a hand on Toph's shoulder. "It's better if we don't know."

* * *

Aang fell to the ground when the ball Sokka kicked hit his head. Sokka ran where Aang laid, his tongue out, drooling, and a giant red mark on his forehead. Sokka put three fingers up and asked Aang how many fingers he held.

Aang sat up and laughed. "Sokka relax, I just slipped, I don't have a concussion."

"Oh, Okay. Sorry I kicked the ball so hard." Sokka scratched his back.

Suki blew her whistle signaling the boys to come. Sokka picked up Aang and they jogged to the center of the field, where she was. Suki was carrying a wood board with papers attached. She was scribbling down something.

"What's up coach?" Sokka asked with confidence. He thought he did a pretty good job.

Suki stopped scribbling and looked at both of them with an intimidating face, then back at Aang with disgust. "Aang, I'm sorry, but you suck. Letting you join the team would be like self-sabotaging."

Aang pretended he was sad. "Oh, but suki, I wanted this so badly!"

Sokka softly chuckled behind his ear.

"You didn't want it bad enough apparently." Suki frowned.

Aang and Sokka's jaws dropped by the harshness of her words.

Suki, now, made eye contact with Sokka, who was sweating like a pig, both from playing and the fear Suki made him feel.

"Saúl-"

"It's sokka," he corrected.

"Right. Sokka," Suki continued, "Your kick is awful. Your force is uncontrolled, you almost gave Aang a concussion, and your posture sucks... you bend too much."

Sokka grimaced.

"But, you have potential." Suki ripped a page of her wood board and handed it to him. "Here's your schedule, you start tomorrow."

Sokka jumped with a fist in the air and then pulled Aang and Suki into a hug, "Thank you Suki, I wont disappoint you!"

"My head!" Aang muttered.

Suki grunted, "Personal space please!"

The hug dissolved quickly.

"Sorry, I forgot." Sokka laughed nervously.

"It's okay, just don't do it ever again." Suki smiled cynically. Aang agreed.

"Not that I don't like hugs Sokka, I just don't want them when I'm having a brain spillage," The boy secured his words.

"Okay!" Sokka put and arm around Aang's shoulder. "Bromie."

"Bromie?" Aang questioned.

"It's a mix of bro and homie."

"Oh, okay. Bromie!"

* * *

Zuko could barely see with all the shopping bags blocking the way.

"Sorry, I didn't know they would have a sale," Mai apologized.

"It's okay Mai, no problem," He threw a fake laugh.

"I could have gone shopping with Ty lee, but I bet she would rather go rub Azula's feet or something."

"That's gross," Zuko said. Barely being able to move, he walked into whatever direction his feet could step into.

"Watch out!" Mai warned.

Zuko was astonished by the fact that Mai actually spoke higher that her usual tone of voice, he didn't pay attention to neither what she said or where he was going. Without wanting to, he lunged into a fountain.

"Don't say I didn't warn you." Mai extended her hand to Zuko, which he grabbed.

For Zuko's luck, his frenemy, Jet, was just around the corner. At the sight of a wet Zuko, the boy couldn't help but burst into laughter. The sound of laughing made Zuko distracted and pulled Mai's hand hard enough to let her fall face flat to the Fountain's bottom, half of her lower body sticking out.

Jet laughed even harder. Mai pulled her head out of the chlorinated solution and spat some water in repulsion. Zuko gaped at her with fear, thinking of what her cold soul would say to him.

"I guess we're even now," Was all Mai managed to say.

They both let out a small giggle to indicate no hard feelings.

"Sorry for ruining you clothes." Zuko bowed his head in shame as he handed Mai her bag.

"Don't worry, I have a washing machine," She joked.

Jet rushed their side. "Are you guys okay? That was hilarious!" He beamed.

Mai and Zuko emerged from the fountain. "We're fine." Mai threw him a shopping bag. "But you should help us out," The girl ordered.

"Where's everybody?" Zuko asked. Now he carried less bags than before.

"The guys left to the arcade while I was peeing, now I'm searching for them. And Toph is with her new friend."

"Do you think it's a good idea to leave Toph alone with a girl she barely knows?" Zuko asked.

Jet tilted his head to the right and thought for a few seconds. " _You are right_. We should stop her before she does something stupid."

* * *

"Azula! Tell me! Does it say anything about what kind of face mask works for my type of skin?!" Ty lee shouted from here she was hanging.

"Um, no!" Azula replied. She flicked the fire of her lighter and burnt the tip of the cigarette on, Then, flipped a page of the other magazine she found in the backseat of Ty lee's car. "But they talk about scrub, does that work for you?!" Azula shouted back.

"Yes! Please! Just read all of it!" Ty lee pleaded.

"Alright! No need to fret! Okay, Here we go: _8 TIPS FOR GIRLS WITH GREASY SKIN BY SEVENTEEN MAGAZINE._ "

* * *

Katara and Toph waltzed arm by arm through the various stores, stopping in a few every once in a while to stop Katara's nerves, which didn't work because they only got intensified once they found what they were looking for: _The Tattoo Parlor_.

Before they could go inside, Toph grabbed Katara's arm and stopped her. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Yes! Now can we get this over with?!" Katara replied with anger.

"You know if you don't want to you don't have to do it, right?

"I know!" Katara stomped into the store.

Toph got an old _Nokia_ cellphone out of her pocket and dialed a number. "Twinkletoes, are you still with Samuel? -Oh sorry, I meant Sokka. Anyways! This is an emergency!"

* * *

Sokka ran along the paring lot with Aang searching for his car. Sokka tossed his car keys to Aang, he couldn't drive, he didn't know where the mall was.

"On the bright side, we did skip school after all." Aang commented brightly as he put the key in the ignition.

Sokka groaned, "This isn't time for jokes Aang. Just drive!"

"Okay, but first, seatbelts!" Aang quickly secured himself with the safety belt and put his hands on the steering wheel.

"You're kidding right?"

Aang stared at him with furrowed brows. "Do I look like I'm kidding?"

Sokka fastened his seatbelt. "Now?"

Aang nodded and turned on the radio. "I love this song!"

Sokka moved his head following the beat. "Me too!"

And with that, the boys drove away while humming _Truffle butter_ by _Nicki Minaj, Drake and Lil' Wayne._

* * *

For a tattoo store, it wasn't _THAT_ bad. Sure, it smelled horrible, but it was probably those bikers with nasty pits that came to gossip here. The music wasn't awful either, listening to _Pony_ by _Ginuwine (_ a song frequently played at strip clubs) was way better than _Metallica_ blaring on the speakers.

The bell made a _*ring*_ sound,announcing that Toph entered the store, shortly followed by three other consecutive rings.

"Toph, what the hell do you think you're doing?!"

Katara, along with the entire store but the blind girl, turned around.

"Hey! If you're going to yell please take it outside!" The owner called out.

"Sorry." Jet, Zuko and Mai apologized simultaneously.

"What are you doing here? How did you find us?" Toph raised her eyebrows. "And why are you two wet?"

"Long story," The couple muttered. Zuko raised an eyebrow. "Wait, how did you know?"

"You guys smell like wet cat."

Jet stood tall, trying to show his dominance over Toph. "We came here to make you take back whatever dare you made Katara do! Also... it wasn't that hard to find you, we just had to think about the dumbest place in this mall."

The owner grunted.

"No offense," Jet added.

"I tried! But she won't listen!" Toph gulped. "I didn't think she would actually do it."

Meanwhile, Mai and Zuko took Katara to the other side of the store.

"So Katara... right?" Mai asked.

Katara nodded.

"What kind of tattoo are you getting?" Mai raised an eyebrow in approval.

Katara was about to answer but the boy with the scar interrupted.

"Don't encourage her!" Zuko mumbled in between gritted teeth.

"Why not? I think it's cool."

"That's not why we're here! We're supposed to help her not do something stupid," Zuko insisted, louder this time.

"Actually you're right, that's not why we're here. We came searching for help," Mai pointed out.

"Right! I forgot!" Zuko put a hand to his forehead worryingly, which he soon retracted. "Nah, actually, I don't care. This is more entertaining." The boy then proceeded to ask, "How do you girls think I would look with a tattoo?"

"Good? I guess?" Katara answered a little unsure, she didn't want to offend the gloomy girl, in case they were _anything_.

Mai stared at him with amusement. "Maybe you should get a teardrop under your eye to showcase your sudden rebellion... you know Azula is going to kill you, right?"

"I'll take the risk," Zuko smiled.

"Azula?" Katara asked. She heard that name before, she just wasn't sure when.

"She's my sister," Zuko replied with disgust.

Katara's face lit up when she recalled. " Oh! The one that's dead?"

The pair looked at each other in shock. "dead?"

"Not really though, she was fakin-"

"We gotta go! Nice to meet you Katara, I hope you have a good school year, or something!" The boy and the girl rapidly stormed off the store.

"Wait, Mai!" Jet shouted as he peeked half of his body out the door of the shop with bags in both hands. "You forgot you bags- Oh whatever, she's too far anyways."

"Though luck." Toph took the bags away from jet and lurked through them.

* * *

"Azula! The rock is about to collapse!" Ty lee cried out.

"What do you want me to do?! I'm in as much stress as you!"

Ty lee rolled her eyes. "Azula, you are not the one who's going to die!"

Azula was trembling. "God! Why can't these idiots hurry up!"

Suddenly, a car parked right in front of her, and out came Zuko, Mai and Uncle Fatso.

Zuko's smile faded when he saw Azula was alive. "Close one," he mumbled under his breath.

"Azula, why did the new girl say you were dead?" Mai asked, a little confused as to how they knew each other.

"New girl?"

"I think so? Unless I haven't noticed her existence before. She was hanging out with Jet and Toph," Mai explained.

"Well, that explains everything. I'll tell you later."

"Azula!" Ty lee screamed.

"I forgot! Ty lee is hanging to her death and surprisingly... I don't know what to do."

"Don't worry azula." Uncle Iroh ruffled her niece's hair, which she fixed afterwards in annoyance. "Nothing the dragon of the west can't handle."

Azula turned around to show them where Ty lee was. Her jaw dropped when she observed Ty lee sitting on the barrier, grinning mischievously with her arms crossed.

"Ty lee! What the fuck!" Azula yelled in rage.

"Azula, your manners!" Uncle instructed.

"But -But I -I" The girl stuttered as she held her index finger in shock.

"Azula, this is no different than the rock climbing we do in GYM. Just consider this a little payback." Ty lee smirked, then asked happily, "Why are you guys wet?!"

The couple sighed. "Does it matter?"

"Yes! It does!" Ty lee rubbed her hands. "Tell me everything!"

Azula's eye twitched, "Ty lee! Shut up!"

"We should go home now." Iroh put his arms around both nephews.

"Yes, please!" The siblings agreed.

* * *

"Katara! You're next!" The owner of the parlor shouted.

"I guess I'm doing this." Katara smiled at Toph, who was biting her nails in worry. "Wish me luck!"

The door of the store opened abruptly.

"Katara! stop what you're doing right now!"

Katara rolled her eyes and turned around. "Sokka! What the hell are you doing here?!"

"Uhh... actually, I called him," Toph intervened with a nervous pitch.

The owner of the store exclaimed, "If you need to talk please take it outside!"

"Right! Sorry!" Toph apologized.

The group, except for Jet who already left to meet his other friends, walked outside the store. Sokka grabbed Katara by the shoulders and sat her down at the nearest bench.

"Look Katara, I don't understand what you're trying to prove," Sokka said. "Toph already said you didn't have to do it, you really want to do this to yourself?"

Katara rubbed her right arm and gazed at the floor, biting her lip. "This is not about Toph."

Sokka sat next to his sister and put an arm around her. "Then what is it about? When I said you needed to relax, I didn't mean it this way."

Katara's eyes started to water a little. "Sokka, I wanted to do this for mom, just have a reminder of her, I owe it to her."

Sokka grimaced. "Katara, I understand, but there a lot of ways to pay tribute to our mom that doesn't involve you making a possible mistake."

Aang and Toph glanced at each other, regret in their eyes. "If I may," Aang turned to the siblings and spoke up, "I don't think there's anything wrong with her choice. Some people may look at my tattoos as something wrong, but only I know what it means, they're supposed to show the pride I have of being who I am, and a reminder of what I've been through. I feel like, Katara wants to show the same."

Katara smiled sweetly and wipped off her tiny tears with her arm. "Sokka, I know this isn't the best idea ever, but it's what I want."

Sokka grabbed her sister's hand. "Then, we'll do it together."

Katara and Sokka hugged and stood up, walking back to the store. Toph followed behind them, until Aang grabbed Toph's arm, flipped her around and gave her a suffocating hug.

"I'm really, really, really sorry Toph, you're right, the joke may have been your idea but I decided to do it." Aang's voice cracked. "I can't believe I didn't talk to you this whole summer over something so stupid! You're my best friend Toph, and I hope you can forgive me."

Toph sniffled. "Aang, it was my fault too! I was too hard on you and I'm sorry for that! I hope _YOU_ can forgive _ME_!"

"But it was more _MY_ fault," Aang reassured.

Toph shook her head, "Um, no, it was more _MY_ fault!"

Aang frowned. "No, it was _MINE_!"

Toph gave him a sly smile. "Well, if you insist!" Aang sighed and extended his arm for Toph's to grab.

Before they could go inside, Katara and Sokka came out. Both wearing clenched jaws and fists.

"Can you believe that guy!" Sokka fumed. "How does he even dare to ask for ID's when he probably has killed someone before!"

"You know, I would normally scowl at you for doing false accusations, but you are right! Who does he think he is?!" Katara crossed her arms and pouted.

Toph punched Katara in the arm. "You better show him, Sugar queen!"

Katara laughed and punched Toph's arm back. "So, where to now?" Katara asked.

"Nowhere for us. Too much for today," Aang said. "But we could go to the arcade tomorrow, I'm close to beating my record in _Crocodile Hunter!_ "

Sokka grinned. "Yeah! See you guys tomorrow!"

The gang hugged each other, and parted their ways, all of them grinning.

* * *

Zuko sighed as he jumped onto his bed. He gazed at the ceiling with a blank stare, his concentration destroyed once he heard his sister's annoying high-pitched voice.

"Had a great time, apparently," Azula commented as she leaned against the door's frame with her typical smug grin, examining her French manicure.

Zuko blushed. "It could have been worse."

"Yeah, it certainly could have. Mai must really not hate you if she didn't kill you for pulling that little stunts of yours."

"It was an accident," Zuko reassured. He ignored his sister and observed the white ceiling again.

"Whatever." Azula rolled her eyes. "Also, aren't you going to take a shower? You stink. I would suggest you wash off that blush of yours while you're at it."

Zuko groaned and threw her a pillow. "Get out!"

Azula moved to the side, the pillow flying past its target, crashing into the hall's wall. "Missed me!" Azula cackled. "I'm going to Ty lee's, see you later, idiot!"

Once Azula left the room, Zuko grabbed another pillow and screamed into it to release all the stress his sister caused today.

* * *

Sokka laid his feet on the coffee table of the living room, he focused his fingers on the control remote, changing channels every 2 seconds. He stopped and laid back when he found the channel that played _Law & Order. "We find ourselves together once again, miss Benson,_" Sokka said to himself as he chewed on a protein bar.

Katara cringed with disgust when he heard Sokka's comment. _What a weirdo._ She took out her Pink _Iphone 5C_ and opened the _HayDay_ app, she hasn't fed her horses in ages.

Sokka's stomach grumbled. "Hey K! Did you bring dinner?"

Katara looked up from her phone and widened her eyes. " _Shit_ , I knew I forgot something."

Sokka patted her in the back with force and laughed. "Gotcha! I brought some. Hope you don't mind eating pizza, it's what I could find in short therm."

He got the pizza box out and handed Katara some napkins. Katara grabbed a slice of pizza, she quickly put it down. "It's cold. I should go heat it up." Katara observed the kitchen in the back while standing up, then she shrugged and sat down.

"Ugh, whatever, we won't die of hypothermia if we don't microwave the pizza at least once."


	2. Baywatch

_A/N : lmao I forgot to add there is no bending. This story is kind of explicit in terms of language and some of the stuff that is implied. (You'll see...)_

 _Also idk how AP classes work where y'all are from, but where I am from you have to take a test and it doesn't matter what grade you're from, if your at the top scores you make it in. The class is max. 40 students from all grades. Just some insight to avoid confusion._

* * *

"Hey Aang." Sokka said as he leaned against the locker next to Aang's. He took a bite of the red apple he had on his hands.

"Hey Sokka, how's it going." Aang smiled. He took a bunch of books and stuffed them in his black jansport.

A grunt could be heard behind both of the guys. "Sokka! Get out of my locker!"

Sokka held up his hands to show apology. "Sorry sis! I didn't know it was your locker." Then proceeded to pat Aang in his back. "Though luck," He whispered.

Katara raised her eyebrows. "I heard that, you know?"

"Yeah, whatever. Bye guys!" Sokka exclaimed as he stuffed what was left of the apple on his mouth.

Katara entered her combo and abruptly tried to open her locker by forcing the lock. Due to being one of the last to get her lock combination thank to Toph's little stunt, she was left with whichever malfunctioning locker was available.

"Ugh. Stupid locker," She mumbled under her breath.

Aang stopped looking for whatever book he was now searching for and offered his help to Sokka's sister.

"Are you okay?" Aang asked.

Katara sighed. "It just won't open."

Aang laughed softly. "Don't worry, you just gotta nudge it twice and it will do."

Katara elbowed the locker a little uncertain but quickly changed her minds once it opened. "Thanks. Aang, right?"

Aang nodded.

"How did you know the locker was going to open?"

"I've been stuck with this locker since freshman year." He said as he motioned to his locker. "People come and go but yours stay the same. It may not be the greatest locker but it has drawn in some of the greatest friends I could ever get, just ask Toph." Aang grinned.

Katara smiled back. "Thanks Aang." She looked down at her wristwatch to check the hour. "I gotta go now, it was nice meeting you again!"

"Ditto."

* * *

The bell rang and the students quickly ushered into their respective classes, except for Zuko, who had no idea were his class was. After working all summer with a tutor, he was finally admitted into AP math. All those hours were exhausting but totally worth his dad's reaction, which was basically less disappointment than expected.

"Mister You're late to class," Notified his teacher after his unexpected entrance. "Please, take a seat. Make it fast."

Zuko scanned the room looking for whatever seat was left. He smacked his forehead after noticing that the only chair left untouched was one located next to his sister, which was awful, but also in front of her gloomy best friend, which was great.

Zuko sat down expecting that Azula didn't talk to him. Clearly showing her annoyance, Azula just stared waiting for him to say something. He turned around and exclaimed, "What do you want?!"

"You're sitting on Ty lee's desk," Azula said with a neutral tone of voice.

"Where is she?" He didn't care and honestly he didn't even know why he asked.

"She got kicked out in favor of your sorry ass," Azula scolded.

Zuko gulped. "Sorry?"

Mai twirled her pen in annoyance. "Can you guys shut up?" She demanded. " I thought that Ty lee leaving this class meant actual silence to do work."

Zuko turned forward and examined the board. "We'll start with something easy this year," The teacher said as he wrote down a math problem.

Zuko narrowed his eyes. _Super easy,_ he thought with sarcasm. He dismissed its difficulty and solved the problem. The whole time he was working, Azula did nothing but observe him with a shady smirk.

"Does anybody know the answer?" The teacher asked.

Zuko raised his hand. "5x-"

"5x-y," answered Azula instead. The tension arose between the two sibling, Mai couldn't help but mutter a tiny _oh my god_ and put a hand in her face from embarrassment, their immaturity was outstanding.

Zuko's face turned red from anger, he bit the inside of his cheek trying to keep from snapping out at his sister. " _Thought so,_ " mouthed Azula.

Zuko stared into the distance, pondering.

He waited 10 minutes before the bell rang and mumbled to the guy sitting next to him. "Hey, what's your name?"

"Sokka."

"Great, so um... Sokka, you seem like an outgoing guy, could you do me a favor and shout this when the class finishes." Zuko handed Sokka a note.

Sokka widened his eyes and grinned. "Dude, is this for real?"

Zuko smirked. "Totally."

"Hey, count me in! Anything to give back to the community." Sokka held his thumb up approvingly.

Both Azula and Mai examined Zuko, trying to figure out what was he doing.

When the bell finally rang, Sokka stood up on a table and shouted, "Party at Azula's this Saturday at ember island!" Sokka winked at an unknown girl next to him. "I expect you to be there babe."

Zuko stuck out his tongue to Azula in a mocking manner, she didn't look surprised at all, in fact, she sort of looked amused.

Azula held a hand up making the wild public shut up. "Actually, this isn't my party, it's Zuko's. So if any of you have any suggestions or complaint, please redirect them to him."

Zuko's smile disappeared. "What?!"

Azula smiled cynically. "Keep trying Zuko, maybe next time you'll beat me." Azula grabbed her new Burberry handbag and walked to the door, Mai followed behind her as she put her black kippling bag on her shoulder. "Anyways, I hope your guests, _including_ _me,_ don't break anything," Azula said before leaving.

Zuko groaned. " God, why am I so stupid!"

Sokka upon hearing Zuko, he jumped off the desk and patted him on the back. " Don't worry dude. On the upside, you'll have free booze!"

* * *

Aang and Toph moved symmetrically along the food line. The food special today was either tacos or beans. Aang extended his tray to the lunch lady, who gave him the taco he chose. Toph was next in line, but Sokka snuck in.

"I'll have a taco ma'am!" Sokka exclaimed.

Toph frowned. "I was here first!"

The lady handed sokka his taco and toph moved. "I'll have a Taco, please."

The lunch lady sighed. "Sorry miss, we ran out of tacos." She put a spoonful of beans on Toph's plate. Toph cringed and thanked the lady before leaving with the guys.

Aang, Sokka and Toph sat down on a table near the emergency exit. Toph glared at Sokka while she made Aang exchange plates with her.

"Toph, you're like a billionaire. Can't you get your maids to like make you good food or anything?" Sokka suggested, trying to fix things with Toph after borrowing the last Taco.

" _Omg Toph you're so like a billionaire_ ," Toph mimicked his voice with a higher pitch. "Actually I can't! When I told my parents that I wanted a normal life, they took it too literally."

" _Oh! Is that Katara over there?_ " Sokka said, hoping to change subjects. He stood up and waved for his sister to see.

Katara caught Sokka's sign. She sat down and started stabbing the beans with the fork. "God, I'm exhausted. We had AP History today, and there was this girl who was like whining about how she couldn't be with her friends now because her friend's brother stole her place in AP math, I swear it was the worst, she wouldn't shut up!" Katara ranted. "Anyways, how were your classes so far?"

"Twinkletoes and I lit something on fire today in Chem class," Toph commented.

"It was an accident," Aang added as he painfully swallowed some of the badly made beans.

"That is nothing compared to what I have, dweebs." Sokka examined his nails cockily. "Guess what."

"What?" Asked Aang. Then gagged and left his tray aside, "I can't anymore!"

Katara rolled her eyes. "You guys have such weak stomachs, back in the tribe we ate animal testicles for breakfast."

Toph crinkled her nose in disgust and put down her taco. "I don't think I can eat anymore after hearing that."

"Katara don't interrupt!" Sokka whined. "Also can I have your taco?"

Toph shrugged. Sokka took away her taco and stuffed it into his face. "We got invited to a party!" Sokka said with his mouth full.

"Party?" Aang questioned.

"Yeah! By a guy named Zuko!" Sokka smiled.

"Zuko?" Now toph was confused too.

"Yeah!" Sokka reaffirmed. "why are you guys so confused?"

"It's just that he's never thrown a party before, it's always his sister," Aang answered.

"It doesn't matter," Toph stated. "We're totally going! I can't wait to see how badly this turns out!"

Katara finished her tray. She hunched on her chair and asked her brother, "So when is it?"

"Saturday. It's on ember island."

"Ember island?" Aang raised his eyebrow in question. "Man, we're so going!"

"Great, so It's all set. Who will drive?" Sokka asked.

"I will!" Toph offered.

"Nice!" Sokka exclaimed, Aang and Katara snickered. Then, he frowned. " _Wait a minute_..."

* * *

Zuko's arms were tired. Despite only going away for 2 days, Azula always insisted in carrying two bags full of clothes, plus another one in case of emergencies.

Azula stood by the main door, watching from the sidelines as Zuko loaded her bags in the trunk. "You know, father must have been in a really good mood if he let you borrow one of the cars, maybe it's because you finally might have a social life." Azula taunted as she got into the expensive black car. "You do remember where Mai lives right?"

Zuko sighed "Yeah."

"What are you waiting for? Let's go!" Azula dictated.

"Okay Azula, but your friend lives like 2 minutes from here, why couldn't they come here instead of wasting time?"

"Ugh, let's just go!"

Zuko didn't question Azula anymore. He drove down a few blocks and stopped when he found Mai's house. Both Mai and Ty lee were sitting on the sidewalk, luckily for Zuko, they brought only one backpack each.

"What took you so long?" Ty lee asked Azula.

"I don't know," Azula answered. "Zuko was taking up most of the time trying to figure out what to wear so he could impress-"

"That did not happen," retorted Zuko before it was to late. "Azula was still making her bags."

"Okay!" Ty lee said gleefully. "I can't wait to arrive! It'll be so much fun! Won't it Mai?"

"I guess," Mai said with her monotone voice.

"Come on Mai, that's not the spirit!" Ty lee insisted as she wiggled her eyebrows.

Mai pulled down her sunglasses and sagged on the backseat. "Whatever."

* * *

"Nice house Sokka!" Aang said, examining the framed pictures located on the wall. Most of them were from the siblings themselves and some were from a woman who seemed to be their mother. In the middle there was a giant family picture, judging by the quality, from around the year 2005.

Sokka thanked the boy as they walked down the hallway into the main living room. Aang pulled out his phone after feeling a buzz in his back pocket, and stopped dead on track once he read the message. "Uh oh."

Katara burst into the scene, her long brown hair down and straightened, her face slightly dolled up, she wore a chic straw hat that complemented her beach attire. "Are we ready to go?"

"Umm... actually..." Aang made a nervous laugh.

"What?" Both siblings raised one eyebrow in annoyance.

" _WeNeedToBreakTophOutOfHerHouse,_ " Aang said really fast.

Sokka scoffed. "That's it? Nothing Sokka, future engineer, can't handle."

Katara wrinkled her forehead. "What does those two things have in common?"

"It means that I know how to carry out a plan," Sokka said, grinning with pride.

 _30 minutes later._

Sokka ran with Toph carried in his arms. Sirens and loud dog barks could be heard in the background. Sokka quickly placed the blind girl next to Katara on the backseat and joined Aang in the front row. He slammed the door and made all kinds of hand gestures to his friend, wordless and panting.

Aang looked at him, squinting a little irritated. Once Sokka recuperated the use of words, he shouted, "DRIVE!"

Aang nodded and drove away as fast as he could.

Toph cackled loudly. "Sokka, if I were you, I would never come back to my house, it's for your own safety."

Sokka breathed in and out so he could regain his lost energy.

"See! I told you it was a bad idea! But no... We have to do what Sokka _the engineer_ says!" Katara scolded.

"Come on Katara loosen up, I've brought the weedies with me, heh!" Toph wiggled her eyebrows while shaking excitedly a bag of the _weedies_. "We'll party til' the break of dawn."

Aang laughed, then added seriously, "Actually we are, because I have no idea where we could stay the night."

Katara shrugged. "Back in the water tribe, Sokka left the key's inside the house by accident and we had to sleep in the -60C° weather with only our coats... we'll survive."

Aang and Toph's jaws dropped in awe. "Whoa... This party is going to be LIT!" Toph exclaimed. "Turn up the radio Twinkletoes!"

"If you wanna go and take a ride wit me..." Sokka sang.

Aang and Katara cringed, while Toph sang along with the boy. "It's better if you don't do that," Aang suggested, changing the radio stations searching for something that could fit this time period and Sokka's key range.

* * *

Zuko set up a reclining chair against the sand. "Here you go _Ty lee_ ," Zuko said with annoyance.

Ty lee thanked Zuko and laid down. The girl pulled down her sunglasses and began tanning. Next to her was Azula trying to assemble a parasol. "Zuko can you please set this _shit_ up?!" Azula demanded angrily.

" _Fine_ ," Zuko grunted. He opened the object and stabbed it against the ground. "Happy?"

"Yes, now leave please," Azula dictated, setting her towel between Mai and Ty lee. Zuko laid down next to Ty lee, shutting his eyes, trying to relax.

Meanwhile, Mai sat under the parasol, running her sunscreen filled hands through her legs. Once her hands got back to their normal dryness, she got her phone out of her beach bag after hearing its message ringtone multiple times, her eyes fixated on the screen, she began typing rapidly, sulking.

Azula raised her Miu Miu sunglasses with amusement. "What's with the long face?"

"Just a guy..."

Ty lee sat up with excitement. "Who?!" The pink girl cooed. Zuko shot his eyes open and side eyed the girls with curiosity, as if he were to figure out who they were talking about.

"Don't get too excited, I'm just trying to get us free booze for tonight," Mai said dryly, putting her phone back to where it was before and taking out a book.

Zuko sighed in relief, which Azula noticed. "But Mai, you still haven't answered Ty lee's question?" Azula pointed out while smirking at Zuko.

Mai rolled her eyes. "I don't know, I think his name is Ren Ji? It doesn't matter." The girl brushed it off and resumed her reading.

"Ooh! I know him! His name is Ruon-Jian, and actually he's very cute!" Ty lee exclaimed.

"Ruon-jian? Isn't he friends with Chan?" Azula questioned a little excited, despite being a piece of shit, Azula liked Chan, she thought he had potential, she just needed to fix a few things.

"I think so," Ty lee said contemptuously, frowning. Her change of behavior made everyone stunned. When Ty lee noticed, she turned back into her happy self. "So are you going to... you know?" The girl wiggled her eyebrows, _make out,_ Ty lee meant.

"Only if he brings vodka expensive enough to get us drunk," Mai sneered. "Not that cheap stuff, like the one you made us drink the last party, _Azula,_ " Mai said, emphasizing Azula's name.

Azula protested. Something about it not being her fault, like always.

Zuko was surprised in general, even if he had spend many unrequested time with Azula and her friends, he has never seen this side of them, or at least hasn't paid attention. Azula apparently was crushing on some guy, which made her bubbly friend pretty mad, and Mai liked playing guys, which was kind of intriguing yet deceiving due to his stance with her -or at least what he thought they had, if anything. The situation was kind of dramatic and amusing, he waited eagerly to see how it played out tonight.

But at the end of the day, Zuko knew he should try to get away from Azula as soon as possible, or next he might be found gossiping -or _spilling the tea_ , as Ty lee would say- with her while watching this week's episode of Grey's Anatomy.

* * *

"...Do you need me, Do you think I'm prett _-ay_..." Aang and Katara sang, much to Sokka's dismay.

"So I can't sing, but you guys can?"

Aang grinned trough the rear-view mirror. "Totally."

"I still don't understand why I have to seat on the backseat, I called shotgun first!"

Katara laughed. "You know the saying _brother!_ \- _Finders, keepers. Losers, weepers._ And let's say you bladder wept _a lot._ No bathroom break takes 10 minutes!"

"God, that's gross Katara."

"In my defense, you're grosser."

" _Ahem_." Aang put a fist to his lips and coughed. "We arrived."

Toph gleefully stumbled out of the car and casually threw herself into the sand. "Finally we're here! If I hear _Cheerleader_ one more time I swear-"

"Oh, I think that that I've found myself a cheerleader..." Aang serenated Toph as he picked her up from the grainy surface, Toph during the process caught a fistful of sand and threw it at Aang's mouth. "That'll teach you!"

Aang put Toph down and started spitting the tiny salivated rocks with revulsion. "I think I'm going to be sick."

"Glad I got out of that one," Katara muttered, taking out the beach items out of Sokka's ugly car.

Aang approached Katara. "Need help?"

Katara didn't question it twice and handed the boy most of the stuff she carried. "Could say so."

Aang grabbed the stuff, and immediately let them fall to the ground. "You worry too much, we're not even going to use half of this stuff!"

Katara was appalled. "That was unnecessary! You could have broken something!"

Aang laughed. "We're at the beach, who cares about the material stuff! And you would have probably gotten mugged, I don't think-" Aang held up a tiny camera. "- A _GoPro_ would be that necessary for a tan."

Katara gave him a sheepish smile. "In case of emergency," She added, needlessly.

Aang gave her a peaceful nudge to the arm. "Come on. We could use the emergency as an excuse for surfing."

"Surfing?" Katara stroked her chin while meditating. "I'm in!"

Katara and Aang rented a surfboard each from the nearest bamboo hut, then ran with their wooden planks to the majestic blue waves.

* * *

Concurrently, Sokka and Toph were contemplating the pretty girls at the beach. "Ooh! Do you see the girl with the purple dress, she's smoking!"

"I know."

"Oh! and what about the one with the black bikini, now that's what I call natural beauty!"

"Clearly," Toph said, staring at Sokka with disgust.

Sokka yipped. " _Fuck!_ I keep forgetting you can't see!"

"Don't take it too personally, I doubt you can remember anything long term."

"Ha. Ha. Actually that's kind of mean!"

"Go figure."

Sokka ignored Toph and continued with his quest of finding the perfect beach babe. He was lost for words once he glanced to the left, a girl wearing a red bikini ordered a fruity drink from a straw bar, he couldn't see her face but her behind was enough. "I'm going to talk to a girl, be right back. Maybe."

"Take your time!"

Sokka approached the girl from behind with slickness. "So... What's a pretty girl like you doing in such place like this? Shouldn't you be at the _Ritz_ right now, enjoying a cup of expensive champagne? Although I have to admit a _Sex On The Beach_ seems promising."

The girl turned around, abhorrence plastered on her face, that only intensified once he saw the "man" face to face. "Sokka?!"

Sokka gasped, horrified. "Suki?!"

* * *

Aang was surprised when Katara told him she had never surfed before.

Water was her essence, Katara's known this ever since she was five, when her mother taught her how to swim, ever since she's been going at it on the school's swim team. Trying to surf was a new experience for her, yet not completely remote.

The waves crashed against Aang's body knocking him off the board for the second time this past 10 minutes. Aang ran a hand to his face begrudgingly trying to get rid of as much water, salt bothered the few wounds that haven't yet to scar from Sokka's ball hit. Aang breathed in and out slowly. "I don't get it, this is the fifth time I've surfed. Yet, you get on a board and have practically dominated the bay. Taming the untamable."

Katara laughed. "Stop with the flattery, Twinkletoes. Toph is right, that name _does_ fits you!"

Aang teased the girl with an amicable eye roll. Aang was about to climb on his rented board once again, but a chant distracted him and Katara. They turned around to find a small crowd of people surrounding something or someone, They cheered, " _Fight! Fight! Fight!"_

Aang then caught a glimpse of Toph, who was all alone drawing on the sand. He put his right hand on Katara's shoulder and with the other he signaled to their blind friend. Katara widened her eyes in realization, and hopped off her board. "Sokka!" She exclaimed. They swam to the shore and ran to the crowd.

As predicted, Sokka was caught in between the fight, along with Suki. Aang and Katara ran through the multitude, pushing and shoving the people that crossed their way as fast as they could to stop Sokka from doing any major damage to his health.

Before Suki could throw a slap -or punch, Aang got in the middle of the two enemies with arms extended to the extremes, his body facing Suki. "Suki, Don't!"

Too late, Suki punched Aang in the gut. He clutched his stomach in pain and dropped to floor, groaning. Suki gasped in shock, then kneeled, running a hand through Aang's shoulder kindly. "I'm so sorry!"

"It's _o-_ ka- _y_ ," Aang drawled weakly, still feeling the pain from Suki's powerful fist.

Suki held her forehead, worry consuming her. "This would have not happened on the first place if your stupid friend wouldn't have been such a creep," Suki claimed. By now the crowd had already dispersed.

"I already said I was sorry Suki, if I knew it was you I wouldn't have flirted in the first place."

Katara frowned with disgust. "Wait, so she was going to slap you-

"-punch me actually," Sokka corrected.

"-Punch you, because you hit on her?"

"Yeah I know, isn't that a little extreme?" Sokka crossed his arms, chin up, eyes closed, proud smirk.

Katara scoffed. "I say she finishes what she started."

Sokka shot his eyes open. "What?!"

"You heard me!" Katara recalled him and vindictively flicked her brother's ear. Sokka shot out a loud yelp. "Gee, thank god you escaped that punch, otherwise I don't know how you would have dealt with it."

Aang quickly intervened, tugging on sokka's bathing suit from where he sat. "Guys please, there are other ways to solve this."

"Like what?" Katara asked, a little skeptical.

"Like-"

"Like a competition!" Blurted a familiar voice.

"Toph!" Suki greeted. "I haven't seen you in a while."

"Well me neither, literally," Toph said as she squatted on the sand next to Aang. "So what are you guys fighting for?"

"Sokka's disgusting behavior," Katara disclosed with no hint of remorse.

"Foreseeable."

"Hey!" Sokka whined. "I already said I was sorry."

"Sorry won't cut it," Toph teased. "I still suggest that competition. I say you guys play volleyball. Guys VS girls."

"That's great except, we're four in total," Aang faltered. He stood up and went to join sokka.

"I have the rest of the Kyoshi team with me." Suki copied Aang and went to Katara's.

"No threat to a man!" Sokka said with a cocky grin. Suki frowned.

Aang smacked his friend on the head. "Are you serious? Right now?" He asked Sokka, questioning his sanity.

"Fine then! If it's no threat then I guess we should play. No kyoshi, just us four. _Right. Now_." Suki swallowed hard and glared at Sokka. Sokka grinned nervously.

"Toph pass me the ball," Suki ordered and Toph followed, she threw the ball to wherever her friend was and Suki surprisingly caught it with just one hand. "You're going to wish you were very sorry Sokka."

* * *

"God," Mai hissed. She tiptoed upstairs to the porch of Azula's beach house. "Ouch."

"I told you to wear sunscreen," Azula said as she carried her three bags with ease in just one hand.

"I did."

"You should wear more."

Mai sighed. "Ugh, this just doesn't make sense I was literally under that hideous umbrella all day."

"On the bright side it's only just your legs that look like sausages," Ty lee said with optimism.

Azula rolled her eyes. "I've got some Aloe Vera on my room, that could work." Azula threw her bags to the floor.

"I'm going into town to buy stuff for tonight," Ty lee announced. "I don't want to go alone tho." Ty lee eyed Zuko.

"Just take Zuko," Azula proposed. "And by the way, can you get me some skittles?"

"Great! And sure."

Zuko growled and followed behind Ty lee. Once they were far away, he asked, getting straight to the point, "Okay, what do you want?"

Ty lee twitched one eyebrow. "What makes you think that?"

"Don't play dumb, I saw you looking at me back there."

Ty lee sighed. "You got me. I need you to buy me some booze, it's easier to when you're actually 18, like you are."

Zuko grimaced and tilted his head. "That's it?"

"Yeah pretty much."

They ignored each other until they arrived to the convenience store.

Zuko pushed the glass door inwards. When he was inside the first thing he noticed was his classmate being threated with an ice bag by the same girl he met a few days ago.

He approached them with curiosity. "Sokka?"

"...aasdssghslr..."

Katara intervened. "I think he has a concussion, it's better to not do anything."

"What happened to him?"

"Wait, is he the guy that was in a fight today?" Ty lee asked.

" _Was._ He didn't even finish it. We played volleyball and Suki practically smashed the ball into his skull." Katara once again introduced the ice to Sokka's purple injuries, there were two, one under his right eye and another on his left cheekbone.

Sokka shifted from the amount of beer boxes where he sat, straightened his back and cracked his knuckles. "I'm better now thanks sis."

"I didn't know you guys were siblings," Zuko added.

"Sometimes I wish we weren't," Katara commented as she applied more ice to his face.

Sokka brushed her sister's hand off his face. "You say that now! When I die. Then you will realize."

"Ugh Sokka you're such a nerd."

Suddenly, Aang and Toph came out on the left aisle. "Hotman!" Aang greeted loudly.

Zuko yelped in surprise. "Stop calling me that!"

"Hotman?" Ty lee put a finger to her lips, questioning.

"Yeah, we've called him that ever since he helped us pay a joke to her sister," Aang replied.

" _We?_ It's just you who calls him that," Toph said as she juggled with a can of _Coke_.

"That was year ago, and it won't happen again anyways," Zuko informed. He grabbed a small package of skittles for her sister.

"Wait it was you the one that made _the fire prank_?" Ty lee looked at Zuko with disgust.

Zuko gulped. "Yeah..?"

Ty lee was about to say something but she just shrugged. "I won't tell her."

Zuko sighed in relief. "Thanks..."

"You owe me." Ty lee pointed a finger to Zuko in a dominating manner. The girl grabbed a bottle of Absolutand handed it to Zuko along with money.

"I remembered, we need to buy booze," Sokka recalled, he snagged a bottle of Hennessy.

Katara snatched it from him. "No. No. No! We're taking Tequila. I've read on a magazine that it's the least depressing of all alcoholic beverages. And _I know_ how much a crybaby you are while drinking this stuff."

Zuko and Ty lee chuckled.

"Katara you can't embarrass me in front of the ladies." Sokka looked around but only realized the only pretty girl there was Ty lee, no offense to Toph. "Well, lady," He corrected.

Zuko showed his ID to the owner and paid for both bottles plus mix. Aang grabbed Zuko's shoulder."Here." He signaled to the money.

"My treat," Zuko insisted.

Aang smiled. "Thanks _Your Fieriness_."

Ty lee observed her pink Casio wristwatch. "Zuko, it's 10:00pm."

Zuko played with his hair. "What's a better way to throw a party than arriving late to it." Zuko laughed nervously.

"You can catch a ride with us," Katara offered.

Ty lee giggled. "Aww Thanks!"

* * *

The door of the beach house opened abruptly and in came Sokka, Aang and Toph, who were completely trashed. Aang went in first, with a 6-pack of beer hugged by his biceps, and with the other fisting the air. "Time to raAaAav _eeeee_!" Sokka followed behind carrying Toph in one arm, tequila in the other, both chanting "Weedies! Weedies!"

Meanwhile, Katara, Zuko and Ty lee were outside. The multitude was outstanding, Katara was pretty sure he just saw a dry humping threesome behind the bushes but then again it could be the beer talking.

Zuko rubbed his eyes weakly. "Thanks for driving Ty lee!" He said unintentionally loud. Suddenly every guy around the perimeter perked their heads out all of them questioning "Ty lee?".

Ty lee cringed. "You're welcome... Now I gotta go!" Ty lee's pace quickened when he saw the approaching pack of men.

"So we're alone now..." Katara suggested, drawling words due to her drunkenness.

Zuko grinned, leaning closer to the girl. He wasn't sure if he wanted to make out with her but he was high and the last time he made out with a girl was in months, and it was a party so...

"ZUKO!" yelled Azula. Her hair was messy and her make up was off place. "YOU'RE LATE! AND SOMEONE IS ABOUT TO BREAK AN EXPENSIVE VASE. TAKE. CARE. OF. IT!"

"Hooh myy god," Zuko whined. He swallowed his saliva with a pained expression on his face. "Catch you later."

Katara inhaled deeply, with a neutral expression. She observed the guy stomp off and chugged down the rest of her third beer. She ran a hand to her mouth with disgust. "God, it tastes awful!"

* * *

"Weedies. Weedies. Weedies." Aang and Sokka chanted now in fatigue.

"You guys can stop doing that now." Toph sat on the stairs between them.

Aang stood up. "Where are you going?" Sokka asked.

"To make out with someone."

Sokka scoffed. "As if!"

Aang narrowed his eyes, inspecting the room. He waved to a girl with brown hair. "On Ji!"

On ji turned to face Aang and waved back. She approached the guy. "Hey Aang!"

"Haven't seen you around lately? Is _Hans?_ Chaining you or what?"

"His name is Hide, and I broke up with him."

Aang wore a comprehending face. "I'm sorry Ji, that must have been though."

On Ji shrugged. "Meh."

Aang put a hand on her shoulder. "Well, if it makes you feel better, you were way to good for him."

On ji blushed, caressing Aang's cheek. She batted her eyelashes and Aang leaned closer, finally kissing.

Sokka stood up, speechless. "Bu-But He-H-He -What?!"

On ji pulled apart. "Want to go get a drink?"

Aang wrapped and arm around her waist. "Sure." When they were walking away, Aang flipped Sokka off and mouthed " _Bitch_ _you thought!"_

Sokka face-palmed. "Want to go get a drink," He asked Toph.

"I hope that's not how you flirt," Toph sneered as she stood up. She grabbed Sokka's arm and they went around the beverages table.

"I can't believe these idiots leave their drinks unsupervised," Sokka said while making himself a super mix with all he could find. Toph couldn't help but gag. "Want one?" He asked, shoving his drink all over her friends face. She declined skeptically.

He chugged down his drink in 10 seconds and began hyperventilating. He burped and Toph frowned.

"Nice eyeshadow Sokka, it really complement your eyes. I wonder who the make up artist is?."

Sokka cocked one eyebrow. "Well, well, well, if it isn't beach babe Suki."

"You know, if you weren't so badly injured right now, I would have kicked you in the balls."

"I'm sure you would."

"Hey there's a game of _Truth_ going on right now, are you sure you don't want to play? I mean... it's very liberating," Toph spoke.

" _Truth?_ "

"It's a game where basically a couple have to answer questions in a short amount of time, always telling the truth, if not then it's a dare." Suki smirked. "I'm pretty good at it."

Sokka put down his drink and squinted at the girl. "Is this a challenge?"

"Obviously," Answered Toph instead.

Once accepted the challenge, the group moved to the living room, respectively sitting in front of each other, Sokka and Suki engaged in a glaring contest, while Toph stood in the middle with a chronometer. "Okay you guys know the rules. Sokka since you were the one challenged you start." Toph made the guy next to her set up the chronometer, time ran, only a minute on the clock.

"Okay, Suki is it true that..." Sokka moved his eyebrows up and down suggestively.

Suki crossed her arms, rolling her eyes. "Yes, It is true about the piercing. Now my turn. What's the nastiest dream you've ever had?"

Sokka swallowed when he realized more and more people arrived. "A threesome, Steve Buscemi was involved in it..."

Suki laughed loudly and Sokka pouted. "It's not funny! It was more like a nightmare..." He laid back on the brown couch and smirked. "Spit or swallow?"

Suki widened her eyes. "You can't ask that!"

"Yes I can!"

"Ugh, fine. Swallow."

"I knew it! Haru owes me twenty..."

"Is it true you barfed on a girl while making out?"

"Ho-h- How did you know that?!"

"Twitter."

The player kept answering questions back and forth. Toph meanwhile grabbed a pack of _Skittles_ she found on a table and ate with amusement.

"If it were the last day on the world and you had to sleep with someone? Who would it be?"

Suki scanned the room , she glimpsed at Haru first, then jet, and actually Zuko too for 0.0001 second, but her eyes came back to Sokka. "You..."

Sokka opened his mouth, speechless. "W-what?!"

"No one deserves to die a virgin," Suki said, smugness all over her face. Sokka frowned.

"Figured you would say that." _(_ _A/N: Pll reference don't me lol!)_

Suki's turn to ask. "How many?"

"One, you?"

Suki shrugged. "One."

"Okay this is getting boring," Toph interjected loudly. "Also I may or may have not added a couple of minutes."

"You know, I have to admit, it's pretty entertaining to beat you," Suki said as she stood up from the brown leather couch.

Sokka raised his eyebrow followed with a smile. "Oh yeah? I happen to know more games."

Suki smirked and sat down again. "Let's hear them."

* * *

"hmmph..." Zuko rubbed his red eyes in annoyance. He sat on the wooden stairs and started posing down all the vases he rescued from being shattered. Once finished, he exhaled, his eyes slightly closed, head resting on his hands, grinning for no reason.

His eyes shot open once he heard that dreaded sound. "Oh no. No. No. Not again!"

He ran to the house's chimney ( _since when did a beach house need one_ ) and surprisingly, ignoring his actual state, perfectly grabbed the vase from where it was being thrown. "What the fuck is your problem!" Zuko exclaimed. The two dudes, who he has never seen before stared at him dumbfounded, they were probably just as high a Zuko.

"Dude... it's just material. Life is about having fun _duuuude_..."

"Yeah _Duuude..._ " The other guy made multiple hand gestures. "It's like _*pow*_ and _*pew*_ and _*popow*_ "

Zuko just stared, blinking slowly.

"Dude let me show you." They guy grabbed another vase from the chimney and smashed it against the ground. "Now your turn." He gave him another vase.

Zuko extended his arm a little skeptical, vase in hand, but upon seeing the gigantic smiles the two stoner dudes served, he obliged. Luckily a brown hand caught the vase before hitting the ground.

" _N-ot r-es-ponsabluh..._ " Katara said drunkenly as she handed the vase to Zuko.

Zuko shook his head, breaking out of his _Dudeee_ spell. "Riiiight!"

Katara grabbed zuko's shoulder. "We should sit down."

Zuko was better now, less high than before, still a little dizzy. Katara was worse, she had drunk other five vodka mixes, though she had a steel kidney if she hadn't blacked out yet.

Katara handed Zuko a shot. "Relaaaaaxx! It za parti!"

Zuko was more sleepy than stressed, honestly. But he couldn't lose his grip otherwise the house would end up in flames, it almost happened twice now. He cupped the small shot glass and swigged its content. He made a sour face as the drink slowly burned his esophagus.

Katara face-palmed. "I forgot ze zalt and ze lemon."

Zuko's face brightened up, tequila making effect. " _IDontCare._ Give. Me. Another. One." The boy ordered with excitement.

Zuko was about to chug down another shot until he heard a chant from afar.

" _Sokka! Sokka! Sokka!..._ "

Zuko and Katara raised an eyebrow and instantaneously went to where the chants proceeded.

"You owe me one suki," Mai said loudly. She tied her hair in a ponytail and Suki handed her a small playing dart. Meanwhile Sokka quietly whimpered, standing still with and apple on his head.

"Okay. One. Two. Three." Mai released the dart and Sokka let a loud cry of desperation. The small piece of metal successfully pierced the apple through the middle. "Easy," Mai muttered casually.

"But that's not all Sokka." Suki handed Mai a blindfold, which she inspected unconvinced. Mai finally shrugged and put it on.

Sokka yelped in suffering. Mai positioned herself and was about to release the weapon once again until someone caught her wrist.

Mai abruptly turned around and angrily took off the blindfold with her free hand. " _What the FU_ \- Oh, it's you."

Zuko awkwardly grinned, clearly drunk. "What do you _think_ you're _doing_?" Zuko asked with both annoyance and concern.

Mai let out an irritated sigh. "Having... _fun?_ "

"You could have killed him!"

" _So?_ We would have called an ambulance," Mai declared flatly.

"I thought you knew better."

Mai rolled her eyes. "You're so dramatic." She snatched a red plastic cup from a random guy's hand and gave it to Zuko. "Drink up and stop whining."

Zuko grimaced and did as ordered.

"Okay.. Feel better?"

He nodded and gave her a faint smile.

"Good. You should. It's a party. Don't stress too much."

Katara and Suki cooed, "Awww!"

Then Suki frowned. "Wait a minute... Where's Sokka?" She scanned the room and saw him hide behind a lamp. "Sokka get back here! The game isn't over!"

Sokka screamed and ran down the opposite direction of the house.

Zuko interjected, "Actually... It is over. You guys are too drunk to be handling sharp object."

They both shrugged.

Suki snorted. "Yeah, whatever Zuko. If you'll excuse me... I have to find that son of a bitch."

* * *

Zuko and Katara sat down on the stairs once again.

"Are you okay?" Katara asked with concern. The alcohol's effect degraded quickly, though she was still a little lightheaded.

Zuko rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I think so, I don't know. I'm tired."

Katara crossed her legs, glanced from her shoulder and brushed her fingers against his face.

Zuko smiled and leaned closer to Katara, who extended her lips for a kiss.

Unanticipatedly Zuko got knocked over by a gigantic object flying down the stairs.

Katara stood up annoyed. "You have got to be kidding me!".

"Toph I told you it was a bad idea to slide with the inflatable Banana downstairs!"

"You have to admit it was pretty fun."

Aang grunted. "I think I need an Aspirin."

"hmmph..." A hand crawled underneath the banana.

"Hotman!" Aang exclaimed apologetically.

* * *

"Oh my god Chan!" Azula laughed loudly. Chan smirked, putting his arm around her.

Across her Ty lee glared at them while Haru got her wrapped in his arms.

On the couch to the side, Mai sat checking her nails, Ruon-Jian yawned and stretched, trying to do as the others and embrace her.

"Don't even try it."

"...Okay," the boy drawled, retracting his arm in fear.

"What's so funny Azula?" Mai asked.

"Oh it's-"

"Oh I was just telling her about that time this girl confused me with Joe Jonas," Chan said cockily.

Ty lee widened her eyes and twisted her mouth. "Wow. Hilarious."

"Ty lee!" Azula angrily muttered between her teeth.

Chan put a finger to Azula's lips, shushing her. "It's okay babe. I got this! She probably wouldn't know how it feels since she doesn't look like anyone remotely famous, maybe some E-Lister."

Ty lee rolled her eyes. "Joe Jonas _IS_ an E-Lister. And also my Russian friend said that if I were white I would look just like Maia Mitchell, and she also said Mai looks just like Shay Mitchell."

Mai sighed. "I personally don't even see it, just because she's Asian doesn't mean we're all the same. White people..."

Ty lee, Haru and Chan giggled, Ruon-Jian cackled.

Mai stared at the boy. "It wasn't that funny..."

"Dude... not cool!" Haru warned.

Mai stood up with a groan. "I'm going to find Jet," she announced.

"Actually I'm leaving too, I need to get a _drink_." Azula rose from her seat and grabbed Chan's hand. "You coming?" She winked at the boy.

"Sure babe."

Ty lee grimaced an unattached herself from Haru. "Make it three, I'm going to the bathroom. You should wait here Haru," She advised.

"Um okay?"

Mai and Azula made their ways out of the balcony, Mai to the beer pong table, where Jet was playing with Aang and Toph, and Azula in front of the stairs with Chan. Ty lee stealthily followed behind them.

Ty lee got a strand of hair behind her ear to listen better.

"I think I'm ready Chan..."

Ty lee gasped.

"… I'll go first, wait five minutes and then go upstairs."

Ty lee bit her lower lip. She had to think of something. Suddenly it struck her.

Azula already went upstairs and Chan waited a little bored.

Ty lee ran to the plasma TV hanging above the chimney and plugged the mic on. She tapped it slightly, provoking a static sound that made everybody cringe. "Ok everybody who's ready for Karaoke!" Ty lee exclaimed.

The erratic crowd cheered. Ty lee raised the remote and ran through the songs from the Karaoke DVD. She smirked when she found _the one_. "The first song is... _A Thousand Miles by Vanessa Carlton!_ "

Chan's head lifted up from his hand and excitedly exclaimed, "RUON-JIAN!"

Ruon-Jian Abruptly entered the house. "CHAN!"

They met up and simultaneously shouted. "OUR SONG!" They both ran up to Ty lee, who was being cornered by the demanding public. "WE'LL DO IT!"

Ty lee sneered and passed the mic to the Bros. "All yours," She said deviously.

Azula stepped down the stairs, enraged. "This fucking idiot what's taking him so long!"

Her jaw dropped when he found the homies belting it out to the gayest song on earth. She furiously studied the scene, almost ripping her own eyeball off her head once she saw Ty lee smirking next to the singing couple.

She ushered next to Ty lee and flicked her by the ear. "Ow, what was that for?"

"What was that for? You know exactly what was that for Ty lee!"

Ty lee rubbed her ear. "I was trying to stop you from making a mistake!"

* * *

Zuko accessed out the kitchen into the living room, Katara accompanying him behind. "Thanks Katara," He said while touching his bandaged arm.

"You're welcome!" She replied pleased.

"About that kiss..."

Katara rolled her eyes teasingly and leaned closed to Zuko. Who got knocked over by Sokka.

"Not again!"

"Suki please! No more games!" Sokka pleaded on top of Zuko.

Toph and Aang barged in mid argument. "Why did you tell Jet that! You know how sensitive he gets sometimes," Toph called out.

"Well I didn't know he would be such a sore loser!"

"Talking about sore losers, Sokka get back here!"

Zuko's head felt like exploding, every person he knew came into motion right now, it was nerve-wracking.

"I hate you Ty lee!"

"And I would walk a thousand miles..."

"Mai please! It was Aang's fault, just one last kiss!"

"Suki I think I'm dying!"

"Azula you are _sooo_ meaaan!"

"Sokka stop whining!"

"Leave me alone Jet."

"… If I could just see you... _tonight_."

"Are you okay Zuko?"

No, obviously he wasn't. Every word spun through his head thoroughly. Azula was right, throwing a party was difficult, especially for a socially awkward person.

Zuko ran his hands through his face repeatedly, his face was red from all the stress. The shouting only seemed to amplify more and more. He was about to have a full on panic attack.

Suddenly, the music ceased. "Alright! Party's over!" Katara shouted. She stood next to the chimney, hand on hip, holding the TV's plug.

The crowd, surprisingly, obliged and scattered around.

* * *

Suki applied cold ice to Sokka's shirtless back. "I'm sorry, I guess I got carried away."

Sokka grabbed the ice bag from Suki's hand and buried his face in it. "No, I'm sorry. Really. It's just that... I guess being raised in the water tribe, everyone's sexist ideas perpetuated in my head. This wouldn't have happened if I knew better from the start."

Suki smiled. "I guess I did teach something today. Well, If you want to unlearn more of this misogynistic behavior you should read the following books-"

Sokka furrowed his forehead. "Suki, please. One step at a time."

"Right." Suki yawned. "I have to go, it' already 4am and the girls are waiting for me. She patted Sokka on the back. "See you on practice, Monday."

"Wouldn't miss it for the world."

Aang and Toph "ooed" and Sokka glared at them.

"Hey _Hotman_! Thanks for the party it was awesome!" Aang declared with Toph in his arm.

"Yeah, can't wait for the next one S _parky_!" Sokka rejoiced, leaving with Aang and Toph.

Katara waited until her friends left and turned to Zuko. "Finally we're alone."

"Yeah..."

Zuko and Katara leaned closer, finally experiencing the awaited kiss.

They separated, stared at each other for 5 seconds and shrugged. "No spark... It's better if we stay as friends," Katara casually said as she grabbed her Zara trench coat.

Zuko sighed in relief. "I agree... See you on Monday."

Katara hugged Zuko. "Sorry for the mess. See you on Monday!"

* * *

*Thuck*

"I think he is dead..." Ty lee said, poking at Zuko's head with her pink nail file. Azula frowned.

"Don't be ridiculous." Mai rolled her eyes as she picked up a bunch of trash and shoved it inside the black plastic bag.

Zuko opened his eyes slightly and yipped when he saw his sister's slightly paler than normal face in front of him.

"What the fuck is in your face?! _Ow_!" Zuko grabbed his head in pain once he recalled his predictable hangover.

"It's called a face mask."

"It isn't working, you still look ugly."

"Ha. Ha." Azula threw him a plastic bag. "You should train before you get your garbage man job."

Zuko snagged the bag and started picking up the trash.

"Ty lee do you want some breakfast?" Azula asked.

"No."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

Azula frowned. "Are you still going mad about yesterday."

"..."

"Ugh. Fine... I'm... sorry..?" Azula apologized hesitantly. She crossed her arms and sat on the bar's stool.

A pair of arms wrapped Azula and wet tears ran down her face. It was Ty lee who sobbed against her. "You know I can't stay mad at you!"

* * *

"Hey Aang!" Sokka said while spinning the soccer ball on his finger. "How's the hungover."

Aang lifted his _Ray Bans_. "Stop shouting."

"No offense, but who gets a two day hungover?" Sokka ceased the ball and put it back on his sport bag.

"I do," Katara answered from behind. Just like Aang, she wore sunglasses, except this were round with white borders.

Sokka cackled. "How was the sleepover at Toph's?"

Katara shrugged. "It was nice actually. Her mother loves me. Oh! And before I forgot." Katara searched through her blue Kankenand handed Sokka a paper file. "Her mom sends a restraining order."

Sokka grabbed the papers with a puzzled look on his face. "She wants me to stop hanging out with Toph?"

"No, she just wants you to not come near her house, you destroyed all her flowers."

"Fair enough..."

* * *

 _A/N : R.I.P Zutara. (No, it's not happening again, just one time thing)._


	3. Princess

A/N: _Lmao.. don't let me flop :( Reviews are hashtag #Welcome._

* * *

Sokka massaged Suki's shoulders softly. "Don't stress yourself, you're the greatest captain in all of republic city."

"I know."

"Then you'll do fine!" Sokka handed her a water bottle.

Suki grabbed the bottle and drank all of it, Sokka observed with amusement. "It's not me I'm worried about, it's the players."

"Oh..."

"Not you tho, you have improved for better."

"Oh!" Sokka smiled.

"Out in two!" The coach called.

"That's my calling," Sokka informed. "I hope to see you on the sidelines."

"I will."

"Great! Wish me luck cap." Suki and Sokka exchanged a formal handshake.

The players made their ways out of the stadium's chambers, jogging into the synthetic grass.

The game started out neutral, goals scoring back and forth between the teams, the first half was pretty boring overall, no extreme penalty's except for a few yellow cards against the Tui La team. Suki watched the game next to the coach. She seemed confident for most part, her arms were crossed with a smug grin as her eyes darted left to right following the ball's direction.

Sokka was at his peak, other than the hot cheerleaders distracting him (well, only one caught his attention) he was pretty focused. This was his first official game. _So far so great_.

The second half went rougher, somehow the water tribe coach must have realized how boring the game was, and Sokka was pretty sure he saw the gloomy girl's _bubbly friend_ sigh on the stands. The players acted more brute than before, the force clashing with their team, making them earn yellow card themselves. Suki was pretty mad, madder than the coach. She cursed loudly at the rival team.

Sokka was 100% sure one player was out to get him, every time he oved right, player number 11 followed. He tried getting him off but his coach must have instructed to follow him 24/7 because he didn't move.

"Sokka!" Zuko shouted, kicking the ball to him.

Sokka was about to kick a goal but he got elbowed in the face, hard.

He flopped dramatically to the floor, his eye was purple and bloody. Suki enraged, she shouted to the referee a time-out.

The guy who knocked Sokka out was no other than player number eleven.

Sokka sat-up a little dizzy, he ran a hand to his face and almost vomited at the sight of blood. He observed his surroundings; Suki was fighting with the referee meanwhile the coach told her to calm down, Zuko was jogging up to Sokka, and player number eleven fought with the cheerleader he spotted earlier. "Hahn! That was so unnecessary!"

"Ugh. Yue! Relax, he's not dead."

Sokka fainted.

* * *

The instrumental of Love in this club ringed softly through the speaker boxes of the hospital. Pretty much every person Sokka knew personally that was present at the game waited outside his room.

Suki and Toph were drinking a soda while Suki talked about game strategy. Katara and Aang were discussing about the free magazines the building had to offer. And a few seats to their right, Zuko was sleeping alone against the chair's arm.

"These magazines have been here since 2008. I remember reading about this interior designing article when I broke my arm back then."

Katara examined the magazine. "No, this issue is from 2013," Katara objected. "They might have recycled the article though."

Zuko awoke with a groan, he rubbed his eyes and took out his phone.

"Hotman! Why so alone?!"

"Because I can."

"Don't be too cranky _Hotman_... come sit with us," Katara suggested with a smile.

Zuko frowned. "Did you tell everyone to call me that?!"

"Um... No but I see where they would have picked it up." Aang gave Zuko a sheepish grin.

Zuko grimaced and moved next to Aang. "What are you two talking about?"

"Recycled articles," They replied in unison.

"They definitely are recycled. I'm pretty sure I've read the same article on those magazines like three times already," Zuko told, taking an issue from Aang's hand.

Aang sighed in relief. "Great! That means I'm not that crazy."

"But you kind of are," Katara jested happily as she flipped a page from a 2006 Cosmopolitan.

* * *

Sokka could have sworn he saw an angel. He blinked slowly trying to regain consciousness.

"Great! You're awake!" Yue stood up from her chair.

"Do I know you?"

"We're neighbors! And also the guy who knocked you out is my boyfriend," Yue drawled in embarrassment the last sentence.

"Oh, yeah! How long was I out?" Sokka asked with worry.

"Just two minutes, the hospital is only two building away from your school."

"That's nice. So..." Sokka squinted at the girl, trying to figure out what she wanted.

"I came to apologize. Hahn... He says he's sorry." Yue handed him a _get well_ basket.

"Thanks..." Sokka gave Yue a bemused look.

"Yue."

"Thanks Yue!" Sokka repeated as he lurked through the basked. "Nice! I love _M &M's_!"

"I'm glad you do!" Yue observed the hour on her phone. "I got to go, Hahn is probably waiting for me at the parking lot."

"Can you please tell the nurses I woke up or something?"

"Of course! Bye Sokka!"

"Bye Yue!"

Once Yue left, Sokka let out a dreamy sigh.

* * *

"Ugh, I don't get why they let princess over there first, I'm like... the coach? _Practically,_ " Suki complained to Toph. She slammed a car against the table. "Uno!"

"You know the only reason you're winning is because I'm blind, Right?" Toph threw a random card to the table.

"Yeah, whatever. I'm going in now. You coming?"

"Sorry, only one at a time," The nurse informed angrily.

"You go first Suki. Don't scold at him too hard."

Suki rolled her eyes. "I won't, relax."

Zuko shut down the magazine, indignant. "I know! It's so annoying!" Zuko exclaimed.

"Yeah! And I can't believe we had to do detention 8 weeks just because of Azula! - Poor Toph tho, she had like a year..." Aang shuddered.

Zuko scoffed. "Please... She practically lives in detention."

Katara observed the complaining couple with an inquisitive look. "What are you guys talking about?"

They ignored her and kept talking about the consequences about Azula's prank. Katara frowned and focused on the '5 ways to know if you're more than friends' article.

Zuko felt buzzing on his back pocket. "Speaking of the devil." Zuko picked up the phone, Azula started yelling. "Yeah? What? I can't! I'm visiting a frien- But I have to! He is injured! What?! No... you wouldn't tell him- You would? Argh! Fine! I'll go!"

Aang and Katara observed Zuko with preoccupation. Zuko hung up his phone, sulking. "I gotta go."

"Why?"

"Azula..." Zuko twisted his mouth into a scowl. "Please tell Sokka I came, and that I'm sorry for what happened to him."

Zuko left with his jacket on his shoulder, stomping on the recently waxed floors.

"That's though," Katara commented as she grabbed a Glamour magazine. "With a sister like that I would probably be just as angry as him."

* * *

Sokka was home now. The doctor's appointment went well, he was only prescribed some medicine to cure the low pressure. His dad unfortunately hadn't come visit, he was on a business trip on the other side of the globe, and Katara went to Toph's for the night, they had a science project due for Monday about volcanoes and earthquakes, and shockingly Toph was an expert in the biology area; so Sokka had the house to himself.

He laid on his bed, catching up on the latest _Empire_ episode. "Yaasss Cookie! Scalp that bitch Anita!"

His motivation was promptly cut when his stomach grumbled. He was very hungry, and Katara was the one that cooked when dad wasn't home. He did have money but not enough to order pizza, he could have called Aang to bring some by but he wasn't coming until another two hours. He decided to follow his dad's advice: _When In doubt. Eat Ramen._ Luckily there was a convenience store near; a block down his house approximately.

"Sir, Do you have meat Ramen?" Sokka asked the owner.

"Only cabbage, down the aisle."

Sokka grimaced and went to the back of the store. He bent to grab the cabbage noodles, suddenly he felt a small hand slightly touch his shoulder.

"Hey Sokka!"

"Yue..." Sokka tugged his shirt with a blush.

"I saw you enter the store and I decided to check on you! Do you feel better?"

"Never been better! So... how's Hahn?"

Yue's smile changed into a frown. "Okay. I suppose."

Sokka was taken aback by her sudden change of behavior. "Whoa! What's wrong?"

Yue became conscious of her harshness and turned back to her old self. She sighed, "It's just that... Hahn doesn't want to go this ball I _have_ to go because he is going to a basketball game. No biggie."

"Ball? Is it the labor day ball perhaps?"

Yue nodded.

"I'm going too! My dad works with the people who throw the party so I have to go too! We can go together! As friends..."

Yue smiled. "Great! It's a date then!" She ripped her purchase ticket and wrote down her number. "Text me to see details!" She kissed his cheek and left.

Sokka stared with excitement at Yue's phone number. Suddenly, he got a text.

 _Emergency meeting 2morrow 8PM_

-Suki

* * *

Suki flicked Sokka's ear. "You're late!"

Sokka yelped and sat down on the wooden bench next to Zuko. "Why are we meeting in the school basement? And why is Toph here?"

"Nice to see you too Snoozles."

Suki scolded, " _Because!_ We came up with a plan. That's why Toph is here, and also because she scares some of the players and that makes them do the stuff I need them to do."

Suki approached a chalk board and started writing tactic. "I'm sure everybody knows that we lost the game on Friday, thanks to that stupid referee. Anyways, Player number eleven, or as many like to call him, Hahn, practically almost killed Sokka and got away with it. Now, why is that? Is it because we're weak? Is it because we're failures?!" She looked over the crowd. "No! It's because they sold out!"

The players cheered, reciprocating Suki's feelings of motivation.

Toph stepped in. "Okay maggots, time for a history lesson."

Everyone groaned.

"No that kind of boring history!" Toph rumbled. She approached the board and pointed to it. "Now what does it say?"

"1984." The public replied obediently.

"And what happened that year?"

"We almost lost to RC's Water Tribe High...?" Zuko answered, a little hesitant.

"That's right! But we didn't... Because?"

The players looked to themselves with puzzled looks, trying to figure out if the other knew the answer.

"Because we destroyed the other team's pride!" Suki interfered. "And we did it by stealing their mascot! This is why we're all here, we're stealing it again."

Everyone cheered again, except for Zuko and Sokka.

"What's the plan then..?" Sokka asked with confusion.

Suki gulped. "We don't know yet... _But_ if someone get's the costume they're getting promoted to _Co-captain_."

The players gasped.

Toph raised her eyebrow in annoyance. "Well, what are you guys waiting for? Go get the costume!"

Everyone obliged and ran out of the room as fast as they could.

* * *

Sokka slammed his locker. "Zuko you're going to the ball, right?"

"I have to." Zuko sighed and pulled his hoodie up.

"Okay, hypothetically speaking, you have to bring a girl you like, she's perfect but she has a boyfriend and even if she were to break up with him, you still couldn't date due to your school backgrounds. What would you do?"

Zuko scoffed. "I'm the last person you should ask love advice to. Also if you like Yue so much then you shouldn't care about what people say."

Sokka flinched with his mouth wide open. "H-How did you know?!"

"It's pretty obvious. Why else would Suki suggest people to steal the mascot themselves? That idea is ridiculous and she would rather shoot herself than let the guys do something as important as this, you are close to Yue so she figured you would do it instead."

Sokka frowned. "Well, Suki is wrong if she thinks I'm going to play Yue like that!"

Zuko gave Sokka a cynical laugh. "Let's be real, the only one getting played here is you, she has a boyfriend and she's inviting you to a date. I recommend you watch your back!"

"Sokka! Hotman!" Aang greeted.

"Hey guys!" Katara waved.

"I'm going to pee, be right back," Sokka said, anger still lingering on his voice.

"Wow, someone woke on the wrong side of the bed," Aang commented as he laid against the lockers.

"Ugh, Sokka doesn't even sleep when dad isn't home, he stays up all night watching Empire," Katara attested.

The tree talked, catching up on what they saw this week, music, and other stuff. The trio was ingrained in a _deep_ conversation about Rihanna's boobs, until a high pitched shriek from Zuko's sister interrupted them.

"Zuko!"

"What do you want now?!" Zuko crossed his arms. Mai and Ty lee grimaced to each other behind Azula.

"I need you to drive us to the dry cleaners," Azula ordered.

"The dry cleaners?! We have a washing machine at home!"

Azula rolled her eyes and shoved Ty lee in between them. "It's not for me, it's for Ty lee. She's the school mascot now and has to go pick up the costume before the owners of the store set it on fire, or something."

Ty lee raised her hands and gave Zuko an apologetic smile. Ty lee, head of the cheerleading squad, became the school's mascot after the last one got a stroke, the next game was on Saturday and they still needed a back-up who knew all the moves, luckily, Ty lee, the inventor of the mascot's choreography, offered herself.

"School mascot? That's ridiculous! And I won't do it!"

Aang and Katara observed the scene a little uncomfortable.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah! I'm sure!" Zuko growled.

Azula smirked. "Oh Mai..." She called.

Mai looked up from her candy crush game she was playing on her phone. "What?" She deadpanned.

"Zu-"

"Fine! I'll do it!"

Zuko followed behind his sister, Mai and Ty lee patted his back with repentant looks.

Katara and Aang both rose their eyebrows at each other. "That's fucked up," Aang lamented.

"C'mon, he's probably used to it." Katara lunged an arm over Aang's shoulder. "But still, we should help him."

Aang scratched the back of his head. "Any ideas?"

"… no." Katara pouted.

"Oh! And Zuko, one last thing-" Sokka burst in, wet paper hanging on the sole of his shoe. "Where did he go?!"

Katara and Aang laughed. "He left. I can't believe it took you 30 minutes to think of a comeback," Katara said as she unattached her arm from Aang.

"Ha. Ha."

* * *

Sokka stood in the front porch of Yue's house, contemplating if he followed his dad's advice correctly.

Deodorant. _Check._

Hair Gel. _Check._

Flowers. _Check._

Dress compliment. _On hold._

He scratched his nose, observing the door bell, sweat dripping down his forehead. He gave in and pressed the bell.

The door opened abruptly. "Great! I was waiting for you to knock." Yue looked beautiful, she wore a long sparkly white dress and hair was straight and down except for two strands that were held together with a silver hair clip.

"H-Here these are for you?" Sokka stammered as he handed her a bouquet white lilies.

Yue blushed. "So sweet! I'll go put them in water."

Yue entered the house and Sokka stood outside. "You look beautiful!" Sokka said, perking his head around the space trying to catch her face.

Yue lifted her head from the flowers and looked at Sokka through the kitchen. "Thanks! You look handsome too!"

Once Yue finished, Sokka opened the door of his car for her and left to the Labor Day Ball.

The streets were empty and dark except for the light that shined up above, pieces of crumbled paper and plastic bags floated around the streets, employers were already closing store. On any other Saturday Sokka would be buying booze for some party, but he was happier now, even if he was sitting in complete silence he was with the girl of his dreams.

Sokka opened the door for her once again. The building looked like a gothic church meets a Moroccan castle. Outside, all the guest all wore formal attire and drank cups of expensive wine while they smoked some old school cigars.

Sokka yelled when he saw a flustered Zuko smoking a cigarette with gloomy girl, who wore a long black dress. "Hey!"

Mai smiled a little uneasy at their arrival, she threw the butt of the cigarette on the ground and lightly stomped on it with her black heal. She rested her hand on Zuko's shoulder. "I'm going inside."

"...Sure..." When Mai left, Zuko face-palmed himself hard and chugged down all of his red wine.

"Something wrong buddy?" Sokka asked, oblivious.

Zuko furrowed his brow. "Totally not," He replied with sarcasm.

Sokka ignored him and pointed to Yue. "You already know Yue, right?"

Yue gave a short wave and Zuko nodded.

Sokka examined the scene. "Man, they really went overboard with the party."

"My dad can be so extravagant sometimes," Zuko commented a little irritated.

The water tribe boy gasped. "I didn't know your dad was Ozai."

Zuko rolled his eyes. "Yeah well-" And he just left.

Yue grasped Sokka's arm and they strutted inside. Sokka gawked at Toph and clacked. "A dress?!"

Toph grabbed Sokka by the lips, making him shut up. "Say that again and I'll kill you!"

Katara gripped Toph by the waist. "Okay that's enough." Then she glanced at Yue. "You must be the Yue! Nice to meet you." She extended her hand and Yue shook it with a smile.

"Nice to meet you too!"

"I love your dress!"

Toph gagged. "Katara quit being so mushy."

"You would like it too if you could see it!" She gently dropped Toph to the ground.

"Hey guys!" Aang appeared, food populating his arms. "You have to try the canapes, and the Volováns, and-"

"Hi!" Yue waved.

"Hi!" Aang tried extending his hand for a handshake but he knew that if he did, all the food would fall, so he settled for a warm smile instead.

Sokka grabbed something from Aangs arm and offered it to Yue. "Want some?'"

"No, thanks." Yue declined, a little skeptical.

"Suit yourself." Sokka shoved it on his mouth and Toph cringed, Yue giggled.

Yue gripped his arm again. "Come on! I want you to meet my cousin!" She dragged Sokka to god knows where.

"They look nice together," Aang said, trying to get a canape from his arm with his mouth. Katara grabbed it and stuffed in on Aang's mouth. "Fhenks!"

" _Toooph!_ " A middle aged woman's voice called.

Toph grunted. "If my mom asks, you never saw me." Toph ran away to the boys bathroom.

Katara snagged a bonbon and ate it. "You are right. These taste amazing."

Aang smirked.

"Azula set me up!"

Aang and Katara turned around, they saw Zuko and an older man discussing.

"That's his dad," Aang muttered.

"No excuses! Your sister knows better than to be doing stupid stuff like _setting you up_! Get it together!"

Katara frowned. "That is just so..." She couldn't finish the sentence.

His father left. Zuko rubbed his temples as he looked to the ground. Then chugged another cup, now of white wine.

"We should help him," Katara suggested. She was about to go there until Aang grabbed ahold of her, dropping all the canapes he had in one arm, the right arm was safe.

"I know Zuko... and honestly it's better if we leave him be. We'll find another way to help him another time."

Katara nodded sadly and took another bonbon off Aang's right arm.

* * *

It's safe to say that after the ball Yue and Sokka spent most of their time together; walks through the park at sunset, sharing ice creams on the cabbage man's curb, and most of all, comforting Yue's break-up with Hahn.

 _"I just don't why he would do this to me." '_ I know why', sokka would have answered, but he was _like_ a feminist now (thanks to Suki), so he knew that her heartbreak came first, and if she felt feelings for him, then they would come second.

He didn't know if he was a rebound, but he didn't care.

Soon enough his theory got debunked. Yue's kisses were short but sweet. His first kiss with her was during an afternoon, Yue's white cat got a pebble stuck in his bootyhole (romantic) and they took him to the veterinary, that same day Sokka got a C on his Math test, Yue said she kissed him because, " _You didn't have to come, yet you still did._ "

Sokka was in love, or what was close to it.

Although his outside life was going great, school was a stressful scene to be in. He has been pretty lonely this past few days, Zuko has been getting blackmailed by his sister more than usual, Toph was pretty much in detention all the time, and the _sweeties_ (as he called _the friends)_ Aang and Katara were too busy stalking Zuko; pretty much the only company he had nowadays was _captain_ Suki.

"You know you could-"

"I'm not doing it Suki!"

"Fine. It was just a suggestion... _Geez_."

Yeah, well... it wasn't _Fine_ apparently, because the whole team started pressuring him, even Ty lee the bubbly head cheerleader A.K.A the new mascot, came to ask him when he was getting the other team's mascot.

"-Because you know, I have prepared a choreo we could use to mock the other team!"

He would be lying if he said he didn't think it was a clever choreography. Still, he couldn't stand there and not tell her - _Friend? Girlfriend? -_ What was happening.

That backfired, because one night, Yue came to his window, dressed in all black like a spy, to drop off a bag, which contained...

"The school mascot?" Sokka stared inside the bag, perplexed.

Yue smirked and pecked his lips. "Don't question it, it's too late and I have to leave. But I'll wait for you tomorrow outside the curb." She kissed him again and climbed downstairs through the creeper.

This wasn't close to love. _It was love_.

* * *

Aang and Katara almost burst out laughing when they saw the poster.

"It's not that funny!" Sokka barked. He ripped out the poster off the wall.

Suki should hire a better web designer, she seriously lacks on the Photoshop department, clearly noticed by his 'New Co-captain Sokka' poster. In her defense, " _it's the intention that counts."_

"Don't pay attention to them Sokka, I think you look great," Toph said with a gigantic grin.

"Aww Thanks!"

Aang and Katara stared at Sokka with incredulity. Sokka groaned at Toph. "Stop doing that!"

"Whatever," Sokka proceeded, "Meanwhile y'all losers sit here waiting for your stupid ass classes I'll be making out with my sweet lady Yue."

Everyone but Sokka gagged.

After skipping class, Sokka found himself sitting at Cabbage's man curb drinking a Dunkin Donuts blueberry Coolatta. Half hour passed and Yue still didn't show up.

He was about to call her cell but she appeared at the last minute. She pecked his lips and sat next to him. "I'm sorry for being so late!"

Sokka gave her a faint smile. "It's okay, I was worried about you. What happened?"

Yue dropped her bag to the floor and straightened her legs on the asphalt trying to find the most comfortable position. "Nothing... It just that, you know, ever since we lost that match like 100 decades ago the school has like been really worried about their stupid mascot, so they practically locked us in until someone confessed who stole it."

Sokka grimaced. "Did they find out it was-"

"No. No! Thank god! It's illegal to keep students after 5pm on school grounds, so they skipped me..." She cupped Sokka's face with a smile. "Don't worry, the won't find out. As long as you're happy, everything will be alright."

Sokka stepped back. "Wait... you did this for me?!"

"Yeah! You always are so good to me and I figured I should help you out at least once." Yue ran her hand through his hair. "It's really hard to find a quality like that on people nowadays."

Yue kissed him, hard.

"Yue?"

"Yeah?" She mumbled.

"Do you want to be my girlfriend?"

She gave him a quizzical look. "Do I even have to answer?" Sokka grinned and Yue kissed him again.

* * *

Could Sokka be any happier? Yue, the most beautiful, gorgeous perfect girl on the world was his girlfriend.

Well... _Was_ being key word.

Sokka called Yue 5 times.

 _"Hey! This is Yue! I'm not here at the moment if you need something leave a message after the beep"_ _*Beep*_

"It's me Sokka! I have called you but you don't answer, I feel like you're avoiding me. Please call me back?" Sokka hung up and laid on his bed.

Two hours later, Yue called back.

Her voice was shaky, she sounded like she had been crying. "Sokka! I don't have much time to talk, please meet me outside my house! Right now!"

Sokka parked badly outside of Yue's house. The backyard was full of boxes, a black car was parked in front of their door. Yue sat on the porch crying.

Sokka ran to Yue and hugged her. "What happened?!"

Yue looked at him a little reluctant. "I... I got expelled.. You know why..."

Sokka stared at her, he had no words. "I-"

"Please let me finish," Yue said sweetly with her broken voice. "My dad says that thanks to my idiotic behavior, I'm off to leave right now... To like a... I don't know... Nun school in the northern water tribe."

Sokka's eyes watered. "But... This is all my fault!"

"It not your fault, it never would have been."

Yue kissed him with passion. Sokka opened his eyes and found himself crying. "Sokka this is the end. I'm really sorry." She kissed him again. "Goodbye."

Sokka let go of her hand slowly as she stepped into the car.

Before she left, she muttered to Sokka, _"I love you."_

* * *

Katara knocked on the door. _No answer._ She knocked three more times. "Sokka open the stupid door!"

 _No answer._

"Katara, I think we should just leave him alone, he's heartbroken." Aang said as he headed down the stairs.

Katara exhaled, a little annoyed, and followed behind him.

* * *

"Sokka, it's me! Zuko."

 _No answer._

"I escaped Azula just to visit you," Zuko said, hoping Sokka could hear through the door.

Sokka opened the door slightly. His eyes were puffy and red, he had his hair down, he looked like a meth addict. "Look, I appreciate that, but... you didn't have to do it." He closed the door again.

Zuko shrugged.

* * *

"Snoozles, I know you can hear through that stupid music you're playing! Open the motherfucking door!" Toph shouted.

"Yeah Sokka! I want my Ipod back!" Katara added.

Toph rolled her eyes.

Sokka unlocked the door and threw Katara the Ipod, he locked the door again.

"You have got to be kidding me!" Toph said, frustrated.

* * *

"Well... there is one option left," Katara said looking at Aang.

Toph nodded. "Do it Aang. Take one for the team."

Aang sighed and knocked on the door. "Can we talk?"

Sokka opened the door. He nodded and let Aang in.

Toph and Katara gawked.

* * *

Katara was baffled, Sokka only let Aang talk to him.

"Maybe he would talk to you if you asked instead of pounding on his door," Aang said, his tone suggesting he was stating the obvious.

Katara rolled her eyes and ignored him. Here is what Aang got out of their talk:

1\. Sokka was still bad, but he said he could be worse.

2\. Katara's sad songs playlist sucks, and that she should get dumped to realize what the real good heartbreaking songs are.

3\. It smells like rotten pizza in his room, and he hasn't showered in three days.

4\. Sokka finished watching It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia in three days. The show has 10 seasons and it's still going.

5\. Sokka _is_ going to make it to the soccer game.

Suki smirked when she got informed the above. "Of course he is, he is the co-captain."

After another three days of therapy provided by Aang, Sokka finally took a shower, got a haircut, and left his room.

* * *

Suki massaged Sokka's shoulders roughly. "Look I'm sorry about what happened to your girlfriend, but it's time to move on! And the best way to do so, It's by kicking the other team's asses."

Sokka sighed and rolled his eyes. "What do you know about love? You've never been in love before," He said with 'emo' voice.

"Of course I haven't, I'm only 17, and so are you. You have your whole life ahead - you are only 17, Sokka, remember that." Suki ceased her hands and gave Sokka a water bottle.

Sokka gave Suki a faint smile. "Look, I don't know if I will be any good out in the field today, but I'll try, which is more than what I can promise right now."

"I'll appreciate it."

Sokka felt smaller as the crowd roared. This game was better than the last one. Stealing the mascot wasn't enough to break the other team's spirit, they were rougher than before.

Hahn, Yue's ex, still followed Sokka behind. This time Sokka, didn't try to escape him, he just ignored him.

"Zuko!" Sokka yelled, signaling him to catch the soccer ball.

Zuko kicked the ball just as he got elbowed in the face.

Sokka just stared.

* * *

Suki complained to Toph about " _How could this happen again! I had it all calculated._ " And she just nodded, looking less than interested, as she drew in more cards to the table.

Katara showed Aang a magazine. "This magazine came out this week and it has the same article we talked about 3 weeks ago."

Aang smiled. "I knew I wasn't crazy."

Three chairs away, Sokka stared at the wall.

Aang was about to signal him to come hang with them, but Katara stopped him. "I think it's better if we let him sulk in peace."

Azula left Zuko's room. "He's fine. Ty lee go tell the nurse."

Ty lee left to advice the nurse and Azula sat next to Mai, who was checking twitter on her phone. Suki entered the room next.

"Ugh, I bet we would have won the game if that idiot would know how to take a punch," Azula complained to Mai. Mai ignored her and kept scrolling down her feed.

Katara was shocked. "That's no way to threat anybody! He got injured for God's sake!" She shouted to Azula.

Azula sneered, "Oh! If it isn't his girlfriend defending him. Pathetic."

Katara scowled upon hearing the world 'girlfriend'.

Aang snapped, "I agree with Katara! He isn't even here, and yet you still hate on him. What is wrong with you?!"

Azula yawned. " You can do better."

Sokka observed the discussion, he rolled his eyes and interfered, "Please guys... Stop wasting your time fighting with the wretch." He directed his view at Azula. "Look what I'm trying to say is... If you keep bothering Zuko, then it's going to bite you in butt eventually. I mean wasn't 'the prank' enough?"

Azula widened her eyes in shock. Aang laughed. Katara tilted her head in confusion, not knowing what the joke was. And Sokka just smirked, he stood up and sat next to his sister.

He was still sad, obviously; but Sokka figured that although most people didn't change, some _really_ did. He contemplated his year so far, leaving his native region to arrive to a very different one, making friend with Aang, Toph and Ex-loner Zuko, getting a feminist lesson by her soccer captain who was a girl, and falling in love, all that changed him. It is better to stand up and find out, rather than sit down and let it eat you up.


	4. NaCl

_A/N: Tbh.. Goths are dead (R.I.P), so honestly for the sake of fashion Mai dresses like the spokesperson of American Apparel, because it's 2015 and just imagining someone wearing fishnets gloves... is so... ew omg._

* * *

Ty Lee liked Mai, because despite her dark nature they contrasted very well, she said the funniest things (even if they weren't intentional), she didn't threat her like an idiot, and she would probably kill her for even thinking it... but she was a great person, despite the fact she believed otherwise.

Ty Lee liked Azula—

But.

She _liked_ Azula.

She couldn't pinpoint _why_ exactly. Maybe her looks were a factor, but by that matter then she would have liked Zuko, who was a _guy._ She figured that, _yes_ , she was a bitch, but it was her confidence, her way with words and the fact that she was fearless that made her so drawn to her.

Ty Lee had always been gay; but she only found out in 6th grade, it started as a doubt but gradually into realization when she found out the only person who haven't got a crush on a guy so far was her (and thinking that your best friend was super pretty didn't help either); she remembered it all too well, hysterically crying 3 hours straight in the corner of her bed, thinking about how she was going fall in love if she was practically going to get roasted alive for it.

She still thinks about it nowadays.

But now she just didn't want to remember. She was at the kissing rock with her crush. Sure, it was because they were both drunk and Azula was probably bored... but still. This wasn't the first time they made out, but knowing it wasn't for experimenting, it made it more genuine...in a way.

Ty lee, deep down in the back of her mind, knew she was being played by Azula, but she couldn't help but see a sparkle in Azula's eyes every time she pulled back to stare at her.

It was definitely more than what she asked for.

* * *

Her mother assured her all the time that frowning could cause permanent wrinkles sometimes Botox couldn't fix ( _Personal experience_ , she said), but Mai couldn't help but disobey by scowling at her two "best" friends who sat across her in the cafeteria table.

Azula just gave her the crazy stare. "Get over it! We just left early, it's not my fault we couldn't find you."

Mai rolled her eyes. "Because me being left alone at a party thrown by someone _I didn't even know_ because you guys were _so_ bored you couldn't even wait for me is overreacting," Mai said, keeping her tone dry. "It's not just that, it's the fact that you guys always seem to hang out together, _alone_ — God, I sound pathetic, but you know... if I'm going to complain I might as well do it right." Embarrassing confession, it was the truth nonetheless.

Ty Lee smiled. "Mai, I'm so proud! I know it's hard for you to express yourself."

Azula copied Mai's signature move, she sighed. "Okay, you're right, we'll work on that. Though it wasn't intentional."

 _Right..._

* * *

Sokka's heart still ached after Yue's departure, he missed her, a lot. But he knew she wasn't coming back, at least not in a long time, and he had to find something to keep his mind off of her; soccer wasn't enough, his co-captain title expired once they lost that game with Tui La school, he had to find a new hobby.

"Well Aang told me-"

 _"Well my Aangy told me to blahblahblah,"_ Sokka mocked his sister, mimicking her voice.

Katara hit him with her history book. "Shut it! Do you want me to help you or not?!"

Sokka stroked his arm gently trying to recover from his injury. "Fine!"

"Aang told me that everyone dropped out of the Halloween Madness committee but him, so he suggested we join."

"What the hell is that?"

"Sokka... it's a Halloween party made by the school. It's pretty self-explanatory."

Sokka cringed but finally relented. "It doesn't seem like a bad idea— I'll do it if Toph's in."

Katara cocked a brow. "Why Toph?"

"Because I don't want to third wheel you and your sweetie's oogies."

Katara groaned and hit his arm once again repeatedly. "He. Is. Just. My. Friend!"

Sokka let out multiple "ouches" in between his laughter.

* * *

 _Shower!_ , was the first thought that crossed Zuko's mind when he smelled his armpits.

He had taken an habit of jogging every afternoon after class, his route was short and it consisted of running straight through the neighborhood until arriving at Toph's house, using her bathroom, then coming back to his own house.

Zuko's tongue was dry from the lack of hydration, he made his way through the house's front door and walked frantically to the kitchen in search for some blue Gatorade he stored on his fridge.

He halted when he saw someone was already there bended by the open fridge. It took him no time to figure out who it was, he'd recognize that butt anywhere. "Mai?"

"Hey," Mai greeted, her face never leaving the fridge.

"You need help?"

"Not really," She answered, glancing over her shoulder. She tossed him the Gatorade he was looking for. "Seems like you could use one tho."

Zuko caught it and drank one half, though he could use like a gallon right now. "Why are you alone? Where is Azula?"

Mai closed the fridge and slouched against the counter; she had taken out a bottle of water (as if tap water weren't enough). "I just arrived, it's a surprise."

Mai... She was an enigma to him. He didn't know if she liked him or hated him, he even wonders sometimes if she even knows his name, and it definitely bothers him that she's so... shy? Not really... mean? Neither... _A big_ _blah_ , that's the closest he'll ever get to accurately describe her.

It didn't matter how much rounds he gave the thought because it still didn't erase the fact that _he liked her._

Just because he was confused it didn't mean he was an idiot, so obviously he couldn't give up the opportunity to spend some time with her.

Ever since Sokka scared (the word being used very loosely, she was never scared) Azula off when he was unconscious, he had been spending more time with the gang, squad, crew, whatever. It was weird, going from zero friends to four that haggled constantly behind his tail. Zero friends to four friends, that meant four times more relationship advice:

 _Sokka_. He just got dumped; his advice wasn't plausible.

 _Aang_. He was practically dating Katara; so it's not like he had any hardships to talk about.

 _Katara_. See the above.

 _Toph_. Her only advice was _"Dump her..."_ It didn't even make sense.

Zuko mentally sighed, he had to resort to the only resource he had left, _the internet._

And what did the internet say... Netflix And Chill —Though without the chill part, Mai didn't seem like that kind of girl.

"D-Do you want to watch TV? I mean, while you wait for Azula," He stammered. _Real smooth, asshole..._

Mai shrugged. "Sure, but I think I should go see first if she's even here."

* * *

Azula's eyes widened when she heard the knock. _"Azula are you in there?"_

"Yes Mai," Azula replied. "I'll be down in a minute, I just took a shower and I need to dry my hair."

 _"Um.. Okay? See you downstairs."_

Ty Lee yipped once she heard Mai's footsteps disappear. _"What do we do?"_ She whispered, " _She can't know I'm here! All she'll do that thing with her eyebrows when she's mad!_ "

"Don't whisper, she already left," Azula said a little irritated.

" _Oh. Okay,_ " Ty Lee whispered again.

Azula rolled her eyes. "You could just jump out of the window."

Ty Lee looked outside the window, the fall easily 2.40 meters. She looked back at Azula, her face blank of any emotion.

"Just kidding."

Ty Lee kept staring unconvinced.

Azula sat gracefully on her bed and stated, "Okay we'll have to take the hard way out, through the stairs."

Azula and Ty Lee made their way out of the room and tip-toed through the halls. It took some accidently stepping into stuff and Azula's shushing but they finally arrived to the stairs. Azula grabbed Ty Lee's hand. _"Okay, now you have to be really quiet,"_ Azula whispered.

A blush creeped on Ty Lee's cheeks. She nodded and they started tip-toeing once again downstairs.

They were going fine until mid-stairs, where Azula just froze and gasped at sight of what happened at the living room.

The TV playing a weird action movie. Zuko's arm around Mai. Mai _smiling_.

 _They were Netflix and Chilling!_

"Aww!" Ty Lee chimed.

Mai and Zuko turned around. Zuko quickly retracted his arm and Mai's eyes widened, her cheeks tinted red from embarrassment.

It didn't last long when she realized Ty Lee was here. She frowned and rolled her eyes. "So much for _we'll work on it._ " Mai stood up and went to grab her jacket.

"We can explain," Azula tried to, except not really, because in one of those rare occasions, she didn't know what to use as an excuse.

"No need to. It's clear your too busy with Ty Lee, you might as well do the project with her," She said, always aloof.

"Wait, _what?!_ You can't drop out of the project!— And Ty Lee isn't even in our class!" Azula shouted with animosity towards the girl.

Mai shrugged nonchalantly. "You should have thought of that before. Not my problem."

"You're leaving? But it's so late!" Ty Lee interfered.

"Actually... I can drive her home," Zuko retorted. Azula glared at him.

The corner of Mai's mouth twitched, which was enough to show her answer.

Azula shot daggers at the two teens leaving through the front door, fire flaring off her nostrils, one foot skeptically tapping the wooden floor.

To add to the insult, when Mai wasn't looking, Zuko stuck his tongue out mockingly and flipped Azula off with the two fingers.

Azula narrowed her eyes harder and clenched her fists. _Oh no... here comes the hissy fit,_ Ty Lee thought.

 _"UGHH!SASDFZDGFXDHGFTFDJXHZXDFJKHSDD..."_

* * *

Optimism reeked through the air, he might have been hallucinating, but he felt the sun shine brighter, the birds chirp a little louder, and Zuko be a little happier. Nothing could damage this day for Aang, for he has gathered a new committee for the Halloween Madness.

 _"Wow Aang looking foxy!_ "

" _Hey Aang is that a new shirt?_ "

" _Aang give me your babies!_ "

Yeah... the optimism even showed in the junior's appearance. He waved with a smug grin to the countless of swooning girls saluting him.

Aang entered the unoccupied music class, chin up, chest out, confidence on. Aang's back hunched and his mouth winced when he saw the committee roam around the classroom.

Katara leaned on the piano lazily, playing a few notes of the song See You Again with mediocrity; Sokka drew penises of all kinds on the chalk board, he even was chuckling; and Toph laid on a row of chairs, raking the inside of her ear with her index finger.

Aang furrowed his forehead. "Did anyone come up with an idea?"

Everyone turned around. Sokka choked and rapidly erased the dicks off the board, Toph and Katara ignored Aang and continued with their activities.

Aang blew a droopy whistle tune. _This is going to be a long month._

* * *

Zuko reminded himself the events of yesterday night.

The drive went unexpectedly well... his used car didn't shatter, and he didn't throw up from anxiety. Silence filled the ambient and it wasn't until Zuko turned on the CD player that the conversation started.

" _Ugh. What is this song?_ " It was Sokka's favorite song, Hot In Herre by Nelly.

Mai snorted, and then made a casual remark about Azula being a hoe and how he didn't deserve getting Azula's bad treatment, praising his choice of staying as away from her as possible. His heart fluttered. It was like playing a game of Hot and Cold, getting warmer, succeeding his expectations.

Zuko put on his Nike shorts, sprayed Axe all over himself, and flexed in front of the mirror. "Looking good..." He winked and pointed to his reflection. _If only I could cover that thing though..._

Once he was all set, he went off to jog.

It was a coincidence that Zuko just happened to bump into Mai.

Zuko scratched the back of his neck (also known as flexing) with a smile. "Mai. What a coincidence..."

"I guess." Mai idly smiled back. "What are you doing around here?"

Okay, so maybe it wasn't a coincidence, but he didn't stalk her, he just changed his route; it was an impulse decision, hoping for her to be inadvertently looking down from her bedroom's window those 5 seconds he was supposed to run by and for her to get somehow impressed by the fact that he did something other than get mad. To be honest he never would have thought she would find her taking out the garbage.

"You know... practicing for the track team." Zuko kept his actual position, except now he lowered his arm further down to his spine (In other words, he flexed his muscles harder). "So what are you doing?"

Of course Zuko already knew what she was doing, it was obvious, she had two giant black bags in one hand and held the lid of the trash can with the other, but he didn't know how to carry a conversation, and truthfully, neither did Mai, so small talk... _just small talk._

"Taking out the trash..." Mai said, a little unconvinced by Zuko's cluelessness, as she disposed the bags into the silver can.

"Um..." _Okay... what now..._ "Do you always take out the trash?" Zuko widened his eyes in realization on how stupid that question was.

"Yeah..." Mai gave him a look of amusement while she put on the lid off the trash can.

Suddenly a flock of really loud birds flew by. _Saved by the birds,_ Zuko thought.

 _Jinx_. A bird shitted on his head.

Mai covered her nose with her hand. "Ew."

Zuko was too shocked to say anything.

"Come on, I think I got a shampoo for that." Mai grabbed his hand and led him inside her house. " _This_... is what happens when you flex too much."

* * *

The wooden box was filled with ballots. Toph could be really smart when she wanted to; a suggestion box for Halloween-centric themes was probably the best idea they had engaged on so far, because basically, it was the only idea they had turned up with.

Sokka cackled. "I agree with this dude, we should do a dick themed party!"

"Let me see!" Katara said irritated. Upon eyeing the paper she crumpled it and hurled it at the trash can. "Sokka I know you drew this!"

"Hey! In my defense, if we're staying past school hours I might as well have fun!"

Aang took out another white paper. He tossed it to the floor. Another one. He tossed it to the floor. Another one. Third's a charm. He beamed, "A zoo themed party!"

Everyone looked at him like he was crazy. "Aang..." Toph couldn't finish, he was too stupid.

"Please... I'm not that idiotic. Just consider. An ostrich. Wearing a costume. At a rave. What's better than this?"

Toph cursed herself for even thinking it was good idea those two seconds. "Budget," she concluded.

Aang sighed. Fourth is for luck. Nope, he tossed the next suggestion to the floor.

Katara hummed herself a victory tune. "Guess who've got it? I got it!" She showed the front of the paper, her hands opening and closing it consecutively. "Tsunamis!"

Sokka raised his eyebrow fairly, Toph heaved a spurious laugh. "Of course you do Your Sweetness!" Toph stretched her limbs and pulled herself down to the waxed surface. "We should do an Aliens themed prom."

"I still think we should do the Zoo one, we could get an inflatable ostrich instead!" Aang added belatedly.

"Puh-lease! If not Tsunamis, maybe the Bermuda triangle!" The brunette retorted.

"Who cares about shorts?! Aliens! Duh!"

Sokka fired a cough, hoping that it would make the crew stop disputing over something so insignificant. He failed. Chaos erupted.

* * *

Azula reluctantly jerked her fingertips over the pages of the magazine, none of the articles fitted her reading style— should have known better from Ty Lee's magazines. She pitched the manual towards her burgundy frilly carpet.

"Stop glowering Azula, it causes wrinkles!" Ty Lee informed sweetly. She lifted the magazine from the ground and lolled against the frame of Azula's bed.

Azula groaned.

"Are you still mad about yesterday?"

Azula adjusted herself and sank lower into the flouncy pink pillows. "Evidently. I may hate Mai right now, because she's been acting like a mega bitch lately but, she's still my friend, and I don't want her to be sluttin' it up with - _ew_ \- Zuzu!"

"That's sad! I think they look really cute together!"

Azula rolled her eyes. "Of course you do."

Ty Lee raised her brows in consternation.

"Don't get too sensitive."

The fruity girl huffed. She soared from the bed and went to grab her pink American Apparel coat. "Maybe I'll come back once you stopped being so negative."

Azula crinkled her nose and mimicked. " _BlahBlahBlah._ Whatever."

* * *

A wiccan coven. That was what Zuko expected to find in Mai's house, he got proved wrong (in his defense, she did dress like she was going to become The Next Supreme). The first thing he saw upon entering the house was a woman around her early forties moping the wooden floor rhythmically to old Madonna music while a four year old baby clapped blithely.

This was more frightening.

Mai agreed with Zuko, not directly, but she displayed it; her face flushed from embarrassment as she bit her lower lip, narrowing her eyes at sight. "We should go. _Now_."

They jolted upstairs, each others hands still intertwined.

He was surprised to see how messy her room was, books laying around all over the carpet, lidless highlighters of every color, tons of yellow sticky notes pressed against the wall. "Sorry for the mess," she apologized.

Zuko felt a cool breeze run through his left hand once Mai let go of him, it bothered him.

Once it was all safe from her mother, Mai closed her bedroom door and led him to her bathroom.

She pulled the plain shower curtain to the side; there where tons of colorful see-through plastic bottles, many names, many uses, many brands, many questions, he didn't know what to use, he only had one shampoo and that was it.

He stood there examining all the bottles.

Mai sighed. "Just pick the purple one."

It was safe to say his hair was way softer than before, it was nice. Zuko laid against the door's frame, his hair was wet and he had a towel wrapped around his shoulders to avoid the breeze from the window opened at the wall beside him. He observed Mai, she had her legs crossed and sat on the floor, her back pressed against the bed next to him, highlighting some stuff on the various books.

Once she felt his presence, she turned her head around facing him, and tossed him a shirt. "I figured you might need one. It's my dad's, take care of it."

After changing shirts, he sat on the floor next to Mai. "What are you doing?" He asked while eating a melted Twinky he guarded on the back pocket of his shorts. "I would have given you some but It kinda tastes gross." He ate some more.

Mai pushed his shoulder teasingly with an tiny smile. "The project," Mai responded, worry looming through her voice, while her attention was entirely on a math textbook.

Zuko grinned. Azula wasn't the only one with good ideas.

* * *

" _What?!_ "

"Come on... we almost finished our project, just do me this favor Sokka," Zuko pleaded.

"Almost finished..?! _We're not even at the half!_ "

Zuko was fucking delusional, who does he think he is?! Thinking that lil' yung Sokka could handle an AP math project just so he could play smoochies with a girl. But still, he was practically begging.

Sokka was about to acquiesce until Zuko unnecessarily added, "Okay... look, do this, and I _promise_ I'll buy you a bottle of vodka for the next three parties."

Sokka stroked his chin. "Any Vodka? _Even Absolut?_ "

Zuko swallowed hard and replied, " _Yes_..." His voice cracking a little.

Sokka laughed. "I'm not that bad, I'll settle for Stoli."

"Like that's better!"

"Take it or leave it buddy..."

Zuko sighed, they shook hands closing the deal.

After that, Sokka was in a way better mood (who wouldn't?! Free Vodka!), he strutted through the halls and arrived to the music classroom.

Aang complained to Katara, Katara insulted Toph, and Toph cursed as she threw Aang some crumpled paper balls. It was like an never-ending cycle of insults.

Sokka cringed. "Guys, please. Stop arguing. It's not that deep."

Everyone stopped and assented with their heads, and then turned around, crossed their arms and hummed with their noses lifting to the air.

"Really mature you guys... Come on, we have to work!"

"…"

" _Seriously?_ "

The tree of them stole glances of each other, and hugged their bodies harder. "…"

"Okay, I don't care. I've joined this thing just so I could feel better and now you guys aren't even talking... _So_ if you'll excuse me, I'll go do my stupid math project. Call me when you guys stopped being so childish," Sokka criticized calmly.

"…" _Silence._

* * *

Azula almost slammed the door on his face. How dare this _slob_ interrupt her ice cream eating, nail-painting, face moisturizing session?

Sokka had quick reflexes, he put a foot between the door and its frame, stopping it from closing. "I'm not here for Zuko!" He exclaimed.

Azula re-opened the door quickly. " _What do you want?_ " She asked in between gritted teeth.

Azula immediately regretted this... This 'doing the project with Sokka' thing; but he was her only option left, she even thought about apologizing to Mai, but she wouldn't stop that low.

She remembered all that nonsense Zuko spewed all the time about girls being crazy, that was ridiculously erroneous, his friend... he was a guy and he was stupid as fuck. He showed her what he had so far on his project, wrong, everything was _wrong_ ; then, he came up with more bullshit, he needed some NyQuil, urgently... and she thought Ty Lee was too hyper.

Azula's super smart so for her sake they finished early. "… And don't come back!" She bid farewell to Zuko's annoying friend and forcefully closed the door.

She slumped over the leather couch in the living room, her hands clasped together over her stomach, the clay mask she wore almost chirping, announcing it was ready to be taken off. She stared at the red wall in front of her for a few seconds, inhaling and exhaling calmly. _What now..?_

Azula is popular and all but she'd rather hang out with people at her same levels, or whatever came close, so she had her closest friends and that was it... But she wasn't used to being _alone_.

Azula let out a grunt. She sat straight and started dialing Ty Lee's number on her black IPhone 6.

* * *

It was taxing being the middle man of the situation, having to inform Toph how Katara who was beside wanted her to pass the salt, or telling Katara that Aang wanted his book back because they weren't talking to each other. Now once again they were all at their respective corners of the class, not talking to each other, doing nothing. Great teamwork.

 _"Uhhuuuhuhuh..."_

"…"

" _Mhpmhmmhhh..."_

"…"

"I've been whining for 2 minutes now! Why is no one asking me how I feel?!"

Aang, Katara and Toph begrudgingly turned around to face Sokka. "What?!"

"Okay, you know what... if it's forced attention then, I don't want it!" Sokka complained as he sat on one of the choir chairs.

Everyone looked at him with an expression of annoyance.

"Sokka, we just don't care, kay?" Katara stated dismissively.

"Yeah! Why don't you just go whine to Zuko, you little bitch!" Toph sternly exclaimed.

Aang grimaced and scratched the back of his head.

Eventually the two girls started assenting with "Yeah!" "Sokka is so dumb!" and other insults.

Sokka clenched both his fists and jaw. "Okay! First, I can't because Zuko is too busy trying to get pegged! Second, I had to do the project with Zuko's sister, which is why I'm so whiny! And third, I liked it better when you guys were mad at each other!"

Katara rolled her eyes. "Wow, your life is so hard."

Aang stared at Sokka and retorted, "You know Sokka... you made me realize how salty we were being, and that we haven't done absolutely nothing for the event so far. So thank you." Aang went over Sokka and pulled him on a friendly hug. Katara and Toph shrugged and did the same.

"What?" Sokka was really confused.

* * *

It was nice, almost like a scene from a cheesy rom-com movie; pink blossoms detached themselves from their roots and fell slowly to the ground and the ray of lights drowned the green grass, summer might be over but its presence still lingered on the air.

It was the only place they had left, _the park_. Mai said that "... _for both our sakes..._ " they couldn't do the project at her house; Zuko didn't mind doing it at his house, but Azula forbid them to enter the house, she was still pissed, clearly.

"Zuko, if you keep feeding the ducks white bread they'll get a double-chin." She offered a snide remark in exchange for work progress.

Zuko chuckled. He threw the last crumbs to the pond and joined Mai on the grass. "Next time I'll bring organic bread." He bites back as he takes the book into his hands.

He admitted it, this probably was the best idea he got in a while. Maybe their 'relationship' (couldn't even call it that) wasn't like Sokka and Yue's, where everything went fast and was full of excitement (at least that's how he told it), but it was nice and it was calm, which is exactly what he needed in his full throttle life.

He had more outburst than usual, because let's face it— math is fucking hard, and she always supported him, and he really likes her, a lot; so he kind of feels sorry that she's stuck with him.

He apologized; and it was frustrating how she told him that it was okay (and something else about 'as long he doesn't faultily directs it at her', _noted_ ) and how patient she was with him despite being a notorious ass sometimes. He hasn't felt this way lately, _appreciated_. Sure, there was his uncle, but he loved everything and everyone, and there was his mom, but she's been MIA... for a long time now.

In time the grass started to itch and the bugs started to bite Zuko's butt, so they went to Mai's house.

And surprisingly Sokka was right, Mai's mom _IS_ a MILF. ( _I searched it on Facebook!,_ he said).

Mai gagged when he told her what Sokka thought. "… And do you agree with him?" She raised one eyebrow mockingly.

Zuko's eyes widened. He looked up from his math book, and glimpsed to the living room behind where Mai's mother and her friends where having their Yoga class. "Do you really want my answer?"

Mai chewed on her pen and grimaced."...No."

Her father... Now that was another case.

They finished the project, and during all that time he forgot to bring back her father's shirt (no, it wasn't an excuse to see her again).

It was really late (as late as a school night could get) and she met him outside, they sat on the sidewalk.

They talked about a bunch of stupid things, but he never would have thought that talking about _Chopped_ would be the deal breaker to making out.

Eventually they had to stop; specifically when an old man cleared his throat in front of them.

You just could see the look of horror in stoic Mai's face and the look of anger in her father's face. Could Zuko blame him? Not really, to see your daughter shove her tongue down a guy's throat while he held your used up shirt is meant to be assumed the worst by implications.

So, just like any passive-aggressive father would, he invited him over for dinner.

* * *

"Ohhhh my goooood!" Aang whined. "What are we going to doooo?!"

It was two days after atonement, and they still hadn't come up with a concept for Halloween Madness. And they needed one... _like now_. Yes, they had three weeks left but the upcoming was for purchasing items and the followings were for announcements _and THE_ event. Also the directive explicitly stated—

 _"If you don't come up with a theme this friday afternoon, there will be no homecoming!" The old woman pointed at all four teens with a belittling finger._

 _Aang grimaced as saliva escaped her mouth, that old hag desperately needed to get some new dents._

So they were pretty much doomed.

Katara fidgeted on her seat. "Can you imagine how badly this will do on my college applications?! _I joined the Halloween committee, and failed!_ "

Toph rolled her eyes. "Katara relax! You can totally put that out!— But still, _no Halloween Madness!_ That would be _such_ a bummer. Image how much Jet will roast me for not coming up with a theme, but like... _Hello_! I came up with the suggestion box!"

"Speak about Jet and he will appear babe!" Jet laid against the class door's frame with smug grin. He took off his chewing gum, perfectly tossed it at the trash can, _and_ made a 'casual' hair-flip.

Toph pressed her lips together and furrowed her brow. "What the hell are you doing here? It's like 10PM!"

"Just came to make my favorite fangirl some company." He made his way over Aang, he crossed his arm around his neck and chafed his free fist against his bald forehead.

"You're- _ouch!_ \- an- _ouch!_ \- Idiot!-" He let go of Aang. "- Jet!" Aang grinned and gave him a 'manly' hug, which Jet returned.

Sokka twisted his mouth into a scowl. "So, Jet..? What do we owe your company?"

Katara flicked his ear. "Sokka don't be rude!"

Sokka yelped, then asked, "What? Did I offend your boyfriend?"

Katara Blushed.

Jet sat in between the two sibling and laid both arms around the borders of their respective plastic chairs. "Actually... I was here to tell you guys that you need to leave. We're using this class now for debates."

"Yeah... well— Fight me! We're not leaving!" Toph warned from the other side of the room.

"But you have to, we were assigned to this class _Tofu,_ " Jet refuted.

Toph cringed, "Your nicknames suck! And we _can't_! Do you want to have an HM or not?"

Jet raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean _Toffee_? Spill it."

"What Toph means..." Katara glanced up to face Jet. "Is that we need a theme for Halloween."

"What about a dick themed party?" Jet taunted.

Aang narrowed his eyes. Sokka opened his mouth and jabbed a finger to Jet's chest. "I suggested the same. Didn't work."

"Okay but literally it isn't that hard to come up with a theme, IMO!"

"Anyways, Mister _I-Pull-Themes-Out-Of-My-Fucking-Ass_ , what do you suggest?" Toph crossed her arms.

"Well, easy! Just do Pandora's Box! You know, basically everything wrong, aliens, serial killers, that time Aang tried to grow mustache... you get me."

The four members looked at each other with inquisitive looks. Aang scratched his forehead and finally spoke up, "Why didn't we think about this sooner!"

Sokka looked baffled. "I don't know!"

Katara smirked. "Sounds neat... and easy."

Toph nodded her head approvingly with a thumb up. "I have to admit... you surpassed my expectations— ust a little, but you did."

Jet clicked his tongue. "You trippin' I always come up with the best ideas. Right Aang?" He smugly pointed with his index finger at the bald boy and winked.

Toph giggled and Aang smacked his own forehead. "I can't believe I found out I was double jointed thanks to you."

Jet shrugged with one shoulder and smirked. "Anyways... are you guys going to leave or what? My team is about to arrive and _we_ have debates to practice."

* * *

She couldn't remember exactly how it happened—Actually she could, she remembered Zuko doing a moronic and inaccurate (but kind of cute) impression about an Italian competitor from Chopped being in love with tomatoes, then she remembered shutting him up in the most unconventional way, and finally she remembered getting involved in a very uncomfortable dinner.

And she wasn't exaggerating when she said that it was the worst dinner she's ever had, yes, even surpassing that time Tom-Tom _barfed_ in front of father's biggest client and she had to clean it up, _gross_.

Her mom's lessons, slash, military training were very fructiferous; otherwise she would have been playing with her food, biting her nails, pulling out her hair, or _anything_ that showed her actual state of mind, because _how dare her father ask_ _that_.

Zuko choked on his spoon. "I'm sorry, w-what?" He asked, his voice a few octaves higher than intended.

"How long have you two been _dating_?" Her father echoed just as he lifted his glass of wine.

"Ukano!" Her mother quibbled in a rather loud whisper.

Yes, obviously her mother had to save to day, not only because she was the third sanest person in this house (her brother being the first, her father the least), but rather because she knew that times were different -of course she did- you can't argue with a woman 20 years younger than you, even if she were old by modern society's standards.

Her father knew better than to Argue with her mother, so he dropped the subject, not for one better though.

"How are you doing in school?"

The beams of sweat that ran down on Zuko's forehead were accompanied by a sheepish grin. Because no one can get a good answer out of that, especially from Zuko who was the "I'm on honor roll but... barely passing" type of student.

Her mother intervened once again; discarding all the plates from the table, Zuko offering to help, her mother playing the 'I don't need help' routine, when she really did, and finally her giving in.

Mai carefully lifted the glass of water, licking her lips before drinking. Her father just stared at her, Tom-Tom blissfully played with a Hot Wheels car.

"Mai... I'm proud of you."

It took all she had not to choke on her water. She slowly deposed the glass. "Why?"

Why? Really? She hasn't been given any sort of affection, nor care surpassing the 'I-Know-You-exist' area from her father in her 17 years of life, not when she got perfect scores in all her tests, not when she became the archery team's captain, not when her 'pretty' face managed to make that fetishist client drop all his money at their feet just for a case. And now, he finally does, when she brings a guy home, that's too low, especially when he's your best friend's brother, the son of your father's boss—

Oh.

"You know father, there's really no need to tell me."

* * *

Azula opened the door with a frown, she rolled her eyes when she saw it was Ty Lee. "Wow, guess who finally decided to show up."

Ty Lee let her pink backpack fall to the floor. "Come on Azula, I already told you I was busy."

Azula was about to shout something about one week of cheering practice being an impossibility, but the last thing she wanted right now was to scare her off. And it would sting to admit it, but she kind of missed her annoying piggy laugh, not for an ulterior motive, she was just used to it.

No matter how much she tried, she was still pissed, which was unfortunately showing in her comments; varying from how funny it was when she almost tripped while going downstairs, how stupid it sounded the quote 'live, love, laugh' in her Facebook status, how much of a ridiculous idea it was that she could pull off a strapless crop top (she had boobs, she needed to accept that). Eventually Ty Lee snapped.

"Azula, haven't you thought that maybe I have a life outside of you?! I mean, the girls from practice invited me to a party today, a party you weren't invited to because they are scared of you! And I ditched them! I ditched them for you!" She picked up her backpack from where she first left it off, turned around, her long braid accidently hitting Azula in the face, and said, "Wasn't Mai enough to show you, she abandoned you... for your brother, the one you've said a million times was useless. I guess he wasn't, because at least he has someone, _unlike you_."

Azula gaped, her mouth wide open, no sound coming out of it.

Ty Lee sighed, "Don't call me, don't text me, don't DM me, don't do _anything_. I'm done."

Now Azula was alone, again, and if she were weak, she would have been sad or something, because _somehow_ everything Ty Lee had said was right. She realized there was nothing she could now, yes, she could apologize, but last time she checked apologies didn't save the world (though people refused to accept that).

She picked up the wireless phone from the kitchen counter and dialed a number. "...Is Mai home?"

* * *

Mai knew she couldn't be alone forever, and she wasn't that mad at Azula anymore, so she accepted her invitation back to her home, spirits know how hard she could be with 'forgiveness'.

She hasn't called him ever since dinner, she hasn't answered his texts and she has let his calls go to voice-mail. It was a burden trying to avoid him in the same house he lived, but it was the price she had to pay if she didn't want to bring him onto her family chaos.

It _also_ was a burden to spend more time in front of the mirror, unfolding and refolding clothes back to their place, having to try on the same thing forty times just to be sure, all in case she were to bump into him, because she still was a girl, and this is what girls where conditioned to be like.

"Please tell me you stopped seeing my brother," Azula queried just as she passed the popcorn over to her.

Mai grabbed a fistful and with the other hand she started picking one by one before introducing them to her mouth. "We just did the project. Nothing more," She lied.

"Have you talked to Ty Lee?"

"Just texts." Mai glanced at her for a moment. "You should just apologize to her. She can't stay mad that long, and she probably got over it the second she left. You know how she is."

Azula gazed the floor for a second, then concluded, "She'll be back. The key is not to sound desperate."

"God. Where did you get that? That sounds an awful lot like the dating advices you get from Cosmo's," Mai hinted as she stood up from the couch.

"Where are you going?" Azula raised an eyebrow and she clutched the popcorn bag tighter in her grip.

"The bathroom... _What?_ You want to install a chip on me now?" She jested.

Azula waved her hand dismissively. "Use the one upstairs. Zuko's dumb friend came over to do the project the other day and broke the sink. How stupid do you have to be to do that?"

"Pretty stupid, I guess."

She went upstairs and checked to the sides just to be sure she was free from his sight. She was about to open the bathroom door until a boy opened it from the inside. "Mai!"

Mai looked confused. "Sorry... Do I know you?" She wondered, no benign on her behalf.

The boy scratched his forehead. "Right. No. I'm Sokka. Sorry. It's just that I heard a lot about you. And I finally get to meet you!"

Mai cocked an eyebrow. "From Zuko, I guess?"

The boy shook his head over-eager. "No—Well... _yes_. But also from Azula. We did the project together."

"Oh. So you're the guy that broke the sink downstairs." She left out the whole 'MILF' ordeal, there's only much she can take in at the moment.

"I don't tend to make very nice first impressions."

"Can't blame you for that."

" _Sokka hurry up! You said you were going to just pee!_ "

Mai swallowed when she heard Zuko's voice from the room next door. He came out and was about to complain until he saw her. "Mai?"

Mai breathed. "Hey."

Judging by his face, his first thought would be something about her deliberately ignoring him; and judging by Sokka's face he probably knows _everything_. Going from the bird shit, his confusion over shampoo, the duck almost eating off his finger, Tom-Tom making him watch School Of Rock, how much she hated the bald guy from chopped, _the dinner_ , like she said... _everything_. And as person who valued her privacy she would have been mad, but she couldn't, because she didn't call him back.

The awkwardness became transparent so Sokka tried to play it cool. "Hey, I'm going to talk to your sister," Sokka told, heading his way to the flight of stairs.

"I doubt she would want that," Zuko automatically responded. A faint smile crept from her lips, and a bit of hope restored in Zuko's face.

Sokka disappeared, and Zuko wouldn't look at her. He crossed his arms, biting his lower lip, observing the floor.

Mai bit the inside of her cheek before admitting, "It's complicated."

"What? Somebody wanting to talk to Azula?"

She smiled again. "No, come on."

He scratched the back of his neck. "Is it Azula? Because.. I don't care about her opinion, and frankly, I doubt you do too."

Mai shook her head.

"Did... Did your father tell you anything? I mean— I wouldn't blame him if he did..."

She sighed. _No,_ _quite the opposite_. "...Yes," she lied.

Zuko ran a hand through his messy 'it's-long-because-I'm-growing-it-out' hair. "Oh. I guess, that explains it all... I— I won't bother you anymore."

" _ZUKO COME GET YOUR FRIEND!_ " Azula shouted from the first floor.

Zuko was about to go downstairs, and she realized that maybe she could let her father win again, she was used to it anyways.

Mai caught grip of his arm, spun him around and planted a kiss on his lips. Zuko's eyes widened and soon enough he responded to it, crossing his arms on her waist; she mimicked his body language but by putting her arms around his neck instead as she deepened the kiss. Once finalized she said, "I'll explain it later."

Zuko shrugged and joined her again.

" _ZUKO-I SAID-COME GET YOUR STUPID FRIEND!_ "


	5. Capitalism

_A/N: I just hope Sephora won't sue me. Happy New years!_

* * *

Aang heaved a sigh and rested his head on the counter.

This was how his Saturdays were like. Waiting for costumers to show up, stuffing the products bratty kids threw to the floor back to their shelves, dealing with a few flirty girls who wanted some discount on the new Justin Bieber disc, having to watch Space Jam for the hundredth time in a row, the list goes on.

Bosco's Music and Video Shop was awful—but at least they gave great discounts to their employees.

Aang lifted his head up and opened his eyes slowly. A few fingers snapped in front of his face. "Are you listening to me, _Aang_? I asked, how do I look?"

He rubbed his eyes and carefully observed the girl with the executive suit. "Katara, you look like a 40 year old single mom."

Katara grinned. "Great! That's the look I'm going for!"

"What's with costume anyways?" He asked lightly.

"It's not a costume," She corrected. "Haven't you heard?"

Aang raised an eyebrow.

"They're looking for employees at Sephora!"

Aang made his way behind the counter and re-stocked some vinyls on the shelf. "That's great for you..."

Katara grimaced. "Aang, it's job hunting season, if you don't like it...then you should _quit_."

Aang sighed and pressed his head against the wall. "You make it sound so _easy_. No offense Katara."

Katara joined him behind the counter and helped him with the rest of the re-stocking. "Come on, be a little optimistic." She put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "My interview isn't in like an hour, maybe we could go eat something at the food court."

Aang slouched and scowled. "Can't... My break isn't in like three hours."

"Well... if you change your mind you know where we'll be." Katara headed to the glass door.

"Katara?"

She perked her head up. "Yeah?"

"Don't forget to tell everyone we're looking for employees."

* * *

Katara made her way through the busy crowd, she arrived at the four-people table and sat down. Each side was occupied by a respective teen, Sokka eating on the left, Zuko sulking on the right, and... Toph?

She frowned. "I thought you were going to play teacher today?"

Toph scoffed. "I am!"

"At the mall?! How did you even get the privilege to tutor?" Katara asked as she sat down on the overused plastic white chair.

"Privilege?!" Sokka exclaimed, his mouth full of Taco Bell. "You're crazy, Katara!"

Toph sighed upon recalling the events of two weeks ago. "Well, it all started when..."

 _After the directive scolded at all of them about the requirements of Halloween Madness, she required for Toph to stay a little longer._

 _Toph sat on the cushioned wooden chair, she fidgeted every once in a while to make her butt feel comfortable. She turned her head around when she heard footsteps come from the door._

 _"Okay, Toph," The directive spoke. "It's been to my attention that you're failing all of you classes, but biology, physics and chemistry_ — _Now, we can't kick you out because that will drive our school into a economical crisis-"_

 _Toph twisted her mouth into a fair smirk._

 _"-But we can't gift grades either. So, we decided, that as extra credit for you classes, you'll tutor."_

 _Toph opened her mouth in awe. "What?!"_

 _"Yeah. And don't even think about calling your dad, he was the one who suggested the idea."_

 _The blind girl winced and slapped her forehead._

"—So that's why I'm tutoring these three kids in chem."

"Bummer," Sokka muttered as he stuffed French fries into his mouth.

"Sokka, stop eating all my fries! You already ate _MY_ hamburger!" Zuko complained. "Plus, it's not like I have the money to pay for another combo..." Zuko dropped his head to his hands.

"Wow. Here we go. Zuko is making it all about himself again," Toph jested, truth peeping.

"Oh! So that's why you're dressed like a 40 year old divorced dad paying alimony? You're looking for a job?" Sokka asked.

Katara raised an eyebrow as she took some of Zuko's fries. "I thought you already had a job?"

"Yeah, but I quit."

"You're an idiot, Zuko," Toph commented. "Why did you eve quit?"

Zuko put his hand on his chin and grinned upon recalling the events of that morning. "Well, it all started when..."

 _The taste of Victoria Secret's balm lingered on his lips, just like the purple marks around his neck._

 _Mai removed her hair from her face and got up from the floor._

 _"Where are you going?" Zuko asked, disappointment in his face._

 _"Back to Azula," Mai responded. "Knowing her, she's probably going to ask me why my bathroom breaks have been longer."_

 _Zuko scratched his forehead. "Do you think she knows we're making out?"_

 _Mai sighed. "It would be beneath her to not know, so... yeah_ — _But I think she chooses to ignore it, she'll probably use it against us eventually."_

 _Zuko took hold of Mai's hand. "Do you really have to leave?"_

 _Mai nodded. "I have to anyway, I have work."_

 _Zuko tilted his head in confusion. "You work?...Do you even need it?"_

 _"Yes. And probably now less than ever, since my dad thinks we're...dating and all that... He'll probably let Tom-Tom out of the inheritance just for me, you know how he is."_

 _"Then why do you do it?"_

 _Mai shrugged. "I don't know. I guess gaining experience is better, eventually I'll be on college, and I don't think nepotism is going to teach me how to be independent; plus_ — _Sephora has good employee's discount."_

 _Zuko stared into the horizon, realization dawning on him._

"—And that's why I quit from uncle's tea shop. I don't even know how to make tea!"

Toph and Sokka looked at him incredulously. Katara smiled. "I understand, it's nice to care about your future."

Toph crinkled her nose. "You guys are so...weird."

Sokka heaved his backpack over his shoulders and stood up. "I have to go now. My interview is in like 30 minutes."

Katara raised both brows. "You're getting a job-" She pointed at him, dragging her index finger up and down."- Dressed like that?"

'Like that', she meant as in wearing a 2pac shirt underneath the blue plaid with some ripped jeans, that's without adding the piercings.

Sokka observed her sister with disgust, shrugged and left.

Katara sighed. "Well, I gotta go too." She passed over to Zuko a Styrofoam container. "Would you mind dropping this off at Aang's? It's just that he hasn't eaten yet, and I'm worried for him. I don't want him to have a mental breakdown."

Zuko snorted as he grabbed the object. "Okay...mommy."

Katara frowned and smacked him on the head.

Toph rolled her eyes as she stood up with the help of her walking stick. "Okay, you lame-o's can scalp each other all you want; meanwhile, I'll be inserting knowledge into these deadbeat students."

* * *

Toph jumped from her seat once she heard his voice. "Jet?!—Please don't tell me I'm going to tutor you..."

Jet hissed and said, "Well... not only me, also Ty Lee and Haru."

Toph rubbed her temples. "Are they here?" She asked.

"Yeah!" Ty Lee and Haru replied instead.

Toph grunted and added, "Great, Now we have to listen to their smooching sounds. Gross."

Ty Lee and Haru chuckled and exchanged knowing looks.

The blind girl sighed and motioned them to the food court. Haru complained something about studying at the mall being irresponsible, then shrugged and ordered a McDonald's combo.

The four guys shared fries with each other. "Aren't we supposed to be doing something?" Jet questioned.

Toph gave him an odd look. "Yeah... But I want to eat first," She explains and eats once again, even thought she just did 15 minutes ago.

Ty Lee was eating happily, leaving the burned fries off to Jet until she glanced to her left. Her eyes turned to hearts and her jaw dropped.

Jet frowned. "What's wrong with you?" He asked as he played with a paper clip, bending it to make it look like 'guy ring'.

Haru eyed the ring and smiled approvingly. "Nice!"

"Shiny..." Ty Lee commented and she kept observing Tophsop's showcase, her hands now holding her face lovingly.

Suddenly Jet dropped his ring and Ty Lee accidently stepped on it. "No!" He scooched over Ty Lee's pastel pink Timbs and picked it up. He sighed in relief when he found out his 'guy ring' was safe.

Haru put a wholehearted hand to his chest. "Man, I almost saw that one coming!"

Toph rolled her eyes. "Stop fooling around! Time to study! I already ate all of your fries."

* * *

Aang accidently hit Zuko on the stomach. He was just talking to On Ji on the phone about not being able to get her Purpose because he already used his discount on Sokka, and Zuko thought it was a good idea to scare him from behind.

"Why the fuck would you that?!" Zuko exclaimed.

"I was scared!" Aang hang up the phone and helped Zuko get up. He eyed the white package in the floor. "What is that? Is that... _food?_ Please! Please, tell me it's for me!" He begged with his hands clasped together.

Zuko reluctantly handed him the food. "Your mom sent it to you."

"What are you talking about?" Aang grabbed the food with eagerness.

"Katara."

"Very funny, Zuko." Aang ignored him. He started digging the food and shoved it into his mouth.

" _Geez_ , if this is what your job makes you do...then you should quit."

Aang stared at him as he were crazy. Then he tilted his head to the right and asked, "...Wait a second. Shouldn't you be at your job?"

Zuko shrugged. "I quit."

Aang made a face and he continued devouring his sandwich. "Maybe you could get a job here," Aang suggested.

Zuko observed the store—little kids wailing after listening to Let It Go, mom's fighting over the last Phil Collins album, 'Dudes' jumping to the EDM festival DVD playing on the preview screen—And he clacked. "I would rather be dead," He responded seriously.

Aang pouted.

* * *

Katara arrived at Sephora with a confident grin. She knows. She knows she's going to get the job. How could she not? She is a girl in junior year (which means she's not asking for much money), she has perfect grades (except for...ew math), and most important of all, she knows how to contour to perfection.

Her smile did not fade, not when she saw the queue was a mile long, not when she saw girls with better more expensive and stylish suits, not when she saw the girls were paler than her, not when-

"Sokka?!"

Sokka rolled his eyes. "No, it's dad."

Katara quirked her left brow. "What the hell are you doing here?! Do you even know what a concealer is?!"

Sokka grimaced. Of course he didn't. Unlike Katara, he didn't spend his afternoons watching YouTube videos on 'how to shave off your eyebrows' or whatever, he's totally going to improvise, and it kind of made him nervous because he was used to moving along with a plan, but he needed the job, it was only a week ago he got a job at Yogen Früz and he already got fired just for covering for this girl...it was worth it though, they even made out once.

"Of course!" He lied.

She gave him an skeptical look. "Right..."

They stared at each other in comfortable silence. Katara broke the ice, "You know, you could leave now and I could get you something after being hired, or, you could just stay and avoid me getting you something after being hired. Your choice..."

Sokka narrowed his eyes. "Fuck no! Maybe _you_ could just leave now and _I_ could get _you_ something after being hired! _Your choice_ ," He mimicked her.

Katara let out a gasp. "Idiot!"

* * *

"Jet focus!"

Jet ceased spinning his clip ring. "I was focused!"

Toph frowned. This was the worst day of her life— even worse than the day she met her parents (the day she was born). First of all, she was stuck in a teaching job with no pay; second, no one paid attention to her; and third, if they did, they literally got more confused than before.

Ty Lee squinted and tilted her head to the right. "Wait... I thought you said it was an Hydrocarbon, why does it look like-"

Toph snapped, "It doesn't matter what it looks like! It just is! Okay? So, just read the thing and memorize it! I don't know!"

Every stared at her with their mouths open. Toph buried her face in her hands and sighed, "Look, I'm sorry. It's just that—for once on my life I actually have no idea of what I'm doing..."

" _Once_?—Ouch!" Jet rubbed his arm after being punched by Haru.

Ty lee smiled and caressed her back. "Aw, It's okay! I wasn't understanding much before!"

The blind girl straightened her back, cracked her knuckles, and stated, "All right! We're moving onto something a little easier...Metallic elements."

* * *

Zuko rubbed his stomach frantically. "Stop doing that!"

Aang punched Zuko, again. Accidently, again. On ji called, again, this time to ask if he could buy the Barbra Streisand album for her mom. Zuko probably was a masochist behind his daily facade because he always thought that grabbing Aang's 'fatty rolls' to greet him was a good idea.

"Hey...What work out technique do you use?"

Aang dropped the labelling machine into the discount casket and sighed. "Zuko, I'm working, you can't expect me to answer you tha—Shouldn't you be looking for a job?" Aang turned to face him as he cocked a brow.

"I did."

"...And?" He expected for his answer.

"And...nothing, no job so far has all reached basic human commodities a job necessarily has to have."

Aang stared at the boy dumbfounded, the let a loud shriek of laughter. "Zuko...Literally no actual job cares about their employees. I though you knew that..."

"I know that!" Zuko sighed and sat on the counter's cushioned seat. "I think I should go try again."

Zuko left and Aang proceeded with his work. He went into the small storage unit and picked up the boxes stacked in the corner. He gathered the multiple Drake CD's into the arrivals shelves; he was about to place the last one until his almost-boss came to complain.

"Put the CD's lower, we don't want them overshadowing Twyla Swanson's new record, or they'll sue the store."

Long Feng...He was a pain in the ass, when one thing went wrong he pinned it on him, all because he was bitter Kuei got the manager job instead of him, being made assistant manager instead. Still, he kind of felt bad for him, Kuei only sat on his desk watching videos of cat's playing instruments meanwhile he ran the store.

"Also, don't forget to put up Mariyah's Christmas records," Long Feng ordered.

"I already did..."

"Yes, but not correctly."

"But it was on a single file. Like you told me to."

"No, I told you to put the Mariana Venti's Christmas records on a single file, Mariyah's on the shelf above, they sell more."

Aang grimaced. "Oh."

"And also don't forget to..."

"Oh. And to..."

"And to..."

Okay, so certainly it didn't make a difference which record was on top of who's or what Chaka Khan greatest hit was supposed to be playing (Long Feng was a really big _fan_ ), but he had to oblige, and it was driving him nuts how he was expected by everybody to do a perfect job... it was just stocking products! Still— they kept making a big deal out of it and times like these were when he wanted to quit the most.

* * *

 _Why do you want this job?_

"Mainly to gain more experience, but I'm also really passionate about make-up and how it makes a strong impact in today's modern society, especially in the area's of feminism," Katara answered confidently, no stammer in her voice, no flinching on her behalf.

 _Why should we hire you?_

"I have a great work ethic, I've been conditioned by a very strong and hard working family to do a great job and to not stop until I'm satisfied with my results."

 _Where do you see yourself in ten years?_

Katara replied with that fake, sugary, yet confident smile of hers, "Graduating from medical school, starting my first job as an Orthopedist, getting a two store house, 120 square meters wide, adopting a dog and cat, having three children, one girls named Kya, two boys named..."

* * *

 _Why do you want this job?_

 _Money... duh!_

"Is just that...this is just a _really good place_ , and good people belong to good stuff... Oh! And for experience." Sokka nodded his head with a smirk.

 _Why should we hire you?_

"Well, I'm what you call a... Hustler. See, sometimes ugly people might walk into the store, and that's inevitable, but when they're asking for concealer for their lips or whatever, I'm going to slip up and tell them 'no, it sucks' and then give them the same thing but with a more expensive brand like Mabelle or Lorelai, whatever it's called."

 _Where do you see yourself in ten years?_

Sokka gulped and played with his nails. "Umm... Working here?"

* * *

"Nope, sorry, still not getting it," Jet commented.

Toph grunted. "The only thing you'll get is my fist in your mouth if you don't shut up!"

She was the one who didn't get it, she didn't get it at all; Toph taught them everything she knew, and they still couldn't grasp the basic contents of metal elements, they are so easy! It was really frustrating, because this was _supposed_ to be the thing she was good at, chemistry, yet she still sucked at it...or at least at teaching it.

"Alright, how about we take five," said the blind girl in irritation. The three students agreed and parted ways.

Toph slouched on the green plastic chair and was about to close her eyes until someone's loud voice interrupted her.

"HEY!"

Toph groaned, "Hey Sokka."

"What's wrong?!"

"It doesn't matter," Toph sighed. "Where's Sugar queen?"

"Right here." Katara arrived just in time. She pulled over the chair and sat while glaring at Sokka.

Sokka glared back. Toph hissed and said, "I can smell the tension."

"It's actually Sokka, he has an obsession with trying perfume samples," Katara attested and Sokka huffed.

"So how did you job interviews go? When will you know if you got the jobs?"

"Great," They both sneered simultaneously. "And in an hour, we were the last people interviewed so..." Sokka responded.

"Heeey!" Ty Lee squeaked. She deposed a bunch of shopping bags into the ground. "You guys have to see what I bought!"

Toph's right brow rose in confusion. "You went... _shopping_? In five minutes? How much stuff did you even buy?!"

"Well, I bought two pairs of shoes-" She took them out, Katara nodded approvingly "- Three shirts, two pair of pants, two make-up palettes, three bracelets, a necklace, five nail polishes, two jackets, ten rings, three sweaters-" She went on and on, and the three of them looked at each other perplexed. "Oh!" She concluded, "And that really _shiny_ dress I saw in Topshop, Isn't it the cutest?" Ty Lee pointed at the showcase and Katara grinned.

Jet and Haru arrived with smugness. "Guess what?"

"What?" They all asked.

"We said gues-"

Toph gave them the stank-eye.

"Ugh, fine," Jet retorted. Then, the two of them started wiggling their fingers to the public.

Sokka frowned and whispered to Katara, "What are we supposed to be looking at?"

Katara leaned closer to her brother and whispered back, "I have no idea, just smile."

"It's the rings. Look at the rings," Jet dictated. Haru patted his back soothingly. "Come on dude, chill."

"Oooh. Now I can see them." Ty Lee smiled. "They're really shiny, I love them!"

"Where did you guys get those?!" Sokka exclaimed, "I want one!"

Haru extended his hand so they could examine the rings. "They're called guy rings. Jet and I went to Home Depot to get some clips and we're planning to sell them. But...maybe we could gift you one, Sokka."

"Wait! Why not me?!" Ty Lee glared at them.

Jet and Haru gulped. "Emmm...you too!"

Toph gave them a look of disgust. "You guys had a five minute break... _and you went to Home Depot?!_ That's ridiculous! You could have gone to Arcade, heck, even the bathroom... I swear to-"

"Yeah, whatever, Toph," Sokka interrupted. "Well, how do you guys make them?!" He beamed.

Jet took out a pack of clips from the plastic, he bended it straight, then bended it again in a circle form. Sokka stared in awe. "All you have to do...is bend it," Haru concluded.

Suddenly, an electric impulse ran through Toph's brain. She slammed her hands against the table and stood up in eagerness. "I got it! I know how to teach you guys!"

* * *

Aang observed his reflection. He swallowed, washed his face and brushed softly the towel against his skin. An exasperated sigh escaped from his lungs once he heard knock on the door.

"Aang, you've been there for 10 minutes now, the One Erection CD's aren't going to sell themselves!" He widened his eyes upon hearing Long Feng's peculiar way of saying One Direction.

Aang didn't last 10 minutes in the bathroom, in fact, he didn't even go; when the stress is to high he just... _needs_ to get away from the job. It's depressing, when he first started this job he was excited, not everyone gets a job in the 'coolest' store of the mall. It's funny, when you think about Music owners you think about cool guys with long hair who have anecdotes about smoking weed with Jimi Hendrix or even Cher, not.. _.Long Feng_.

Aang gathered courage and finally came out of the bathroom.

"Aang, you should really see doctor for your stomach problems," Kuei suggested. "Well, Long Feng went to interview a potential employee and he told me to tell you to hang these Halloween ornaments." He handed Aang a box full of bats, skeletons and fake pumpkins. "The ladder is in in the back of the supply closet...I think."

Aang unwillingly relented and got to the spot, box in arm, where he was supposed ("supposed" because Kuei didn't even know) to hang the ornaments.

His spine was aching and his limbs felt like they were tearing apart. _Just one more and_... He did it, he finally hung all eighty-nine Halloween ornaments. The sweat ran down his forehead and his teeth showed in a triumphant smil-

"Aang, those aren't hung the right way," Long Feng mentioned.

He didn't even dare to look at him face to face. He could feel his eyes stretching, his veins throbbing and his fists clenching, he queried, " _I'm sorry?_ "

"I said-"

"I know! I.. - It doesn't matt— You know what? _I quit!_ " He stated while going down the ladder.

"But now who's going to teach me how to do the job?" A very familiar voice asked.

Aang turned around with a raised eyebrow. "Katara?"

"Yes, we just hired her. Great girl, has a really good work ethic," Long Feng affirmed, Katara assented proudly with her head.

Aang scratched the back of his neck with a sheepish grin. "Umm... What if I said I didn't mean to quit?"

Long Feng rolled his eyes. "Just hang the ornaments right, please."

* * *

Toph held Ty Lee's shiny dress to the students and asked, "What is this?"

"A dress?" They replied, their answer lacking confidence.

"Exactly!" Toph congratulated. "And what makes it stand out?"

"The shininess," Jet retorted sloppily as he slurped more of his diet coke.

"And does it remind you guys of something?.." She asked slowly as if she were dealing with kids (because technically, she was).

"Metal," Ty Lee answered automatically while painting her nails with her new MAC nail polish. Toph grinned in approval and Ty Lee's mouth opened in shock, she let out a squeal of joy. "I think I'm getting it!"

Jet and Haru gave each other inquisitive looks. Toph sighed and showed them a clip. "What is this made of?"

"Metal, I guess," Haru responded while picking on the dead skin hanging on his lips.

"Yes." She held the clip with one hand and with the other she slowly bended it straight. "What did I do?"

"Bend it, duh!" Jet stated matter-of-factly, his face lit up when he recalled the earlier lessons of the day. "Wait- You told us that's what metal did, It bended! Now I get it!"

"See... It's not that hard. In theory it seems weird, but you have to put it to practice," Toph concluded and she sat down on the plastic chair.

"Does this means we'll get an A on the test?" Haru questioned.

Toph twisted her lips into a grimace. "Em...nope. We still have to see non-metallic elements."

Everybody groaned.

* * *

Zuko entered abruptly into the store, his feet ruining the recently waxed floor, his face was red and his brows were pressed together in a deep frown.

The Old Man stood in his way and put a finger in front of his face. "No. You're not going to enter this store anymore if you're not buying anything!"

Zuko crinkled his nose, he was about to rant to the Old ManHag about how 'he should be thankful he even showed up into his store', how 'he looked like a factory reject of Chewbacca', how 'his store smelled like an eighty year old grandma with an eggplant fetish wildest dreams', but at the end he spotted Aang in the corner of the store and he simply picked a random object from the discount casket next to him and handed it to Long Feng.

"Aang, please tell me you still got a job left for me!" Zuko pleaded to his bald headed friend stocking Fleetwood Mac in the Oldies section.

Aang turned and scratched the side of his head. "Sorry, Zuko. Katara got ahead first."

He was about to complain again until confusion took over his face, he cocked his head to the side. "Katara? I thought she said she applied for Sephora? And honestly, as annoying as it was listening to her stupid practice answers, I really thought she was going to get it. Who do you think got it?"

Aang reflected and he said," I don't know... I guess I was too excited to be working with a friend I forgot to ask her."

Zuko chuckled softly. "Hehe. _You're excited for Katara_."

Aang gave him a look of amusement and changed subjects, "Maybe we should ask her?"

They both strutted to the counter where Katara was working as cashier for the meantime.

"Zuko, why the hell are you buying a Olivia Newton-John album?" Katara asked him as she scanned the barcode of the CD, accompanied by her 'you're crazy' stare.

"It's for Ty lee," He avoided changing subjects.

"So, Katara..." They both leaned on the counter and closer to her face. "who got the job instead?" Aang questioned.

Katara turned her face away from the computes screen, her forehead furrowed and she pressed her lips together. "It was..." She gulped. "Sokka!"

Aang and Zuko stared each other, perplexed. "Sokka?!"

* * *

His eyes twitched as he observed the NARS showcase, he licked his lips and asked again, "I'm sorry Ma'am, you asked for a highlighter?"

The woman assented and Sokka scratched his forehead. "I...I...I'll be right back!"

He ran to the opposite side of the store. He let out a weary sigh as he threw himself into counter. "Mai!"

Mai lowered her Cosmo and popped her strawberry flavored bubblegum. "Yes?"

"Wha-Whu-What...What is a highlighter?!"

The girl rolled her eyes and scowled. "I already told you what it was. Twice."

"Yes! I know! But with too much beauty products I seem to forget!"

Mai rested her magazine on the counter and stood up. "I'll handle this one. Don't break anything."

Sokka awaited calmly on the counter, until a woman appeared. "Um. Yas. I'd like to buy these few thangs—Damn, you chineses have worse prices than in Texas." She laughed obnoxiously.

Sokka would have scolded at the white woman because of her 'Chineses' comment, but he had worse problems to face; the cash register. So he did what he knew best... "Mai!" He called.

" _Ugh, I'm coming,_ " She replied from afar.

Sokka chuckled softly. "Hehe. _She's coming_."

* * *

The steam burned his nose and he almost sneezed all over the tea. "Zuko, you need to drink tea now when it's hot or it will not make any effect on you immunologic system."

Zuko rested his head in one palm. "Uncle, you should be thankful I even considered drinking tea." He sighed. "I feel pathetic."

Uncle Iroh patted his back. "There's nothing wrong with drinking tea, you shouldn't feel pathetic about it," He assured in his Wise Man voice.

He side-eyed him and took a sip. "I didn't mean that. I meant that I can't believe I had to come back here..."

"Zuko, there's nothing wrong with asking for a second chance, family will forgive you, that's what they're for."

The scarred boy observed his reflection on the tea. "Yeah. I guess so..."

* * *

Finally, after two hours of insufferable lessons and countless angry clients, Katara finished her employee's crash course. It was about nine PM and they were about to close; Katara and Aang decided to switch places, she dug for the DVD's on the list given by Long Feng that should be sold for discount, and Aang cleaned the store.

She observed the list thoroughly as she searched for the DVD's. Her brows quirked in surprise once she read the list. "The whole X-files series only for 80 dollars?" She lifted her head up from the paper. "Aang?"

"Yeah?" He popped his head down from the desk he was cleaning.

"Does employees discount work on normal costumer discount?"

"I don't think so..." Aang responded and entered his head back to where it was.

She shrugged and placed the DVD pack underneath her arm.

Her fingers moved rapidly through the DVD's, she halted when she found the one she was looking to tag next; Avatar.

She lifted the DVD up and examined it. "The whole pack of 3 seasons for 30 dollars..." She muttered to herself.

Katara tilted her head to the right. The kid in the picture seemed familiar... She lowered the cover and observed Aang taking off the chewing gum off the desk with his face of disgust, she pulled the DVD up, down, up, down; comparing the both. She noticed the similarities, the tattoos, the bald head, and the look of determination they both sported often.

Finally she shook her head to herself. "You're crazy, Katara..."

She tagged the DVD's discount price.


	6. Farmville

_A/N_ _: It's summer where I am, most people use this to their advantage and try to update more often, somehow summer also clashes with the time the best parties happen, so unlike most people I dedicate to hungover migraines, I'm sorry for not updating... I guess. Also, I love Katara._

* * *

Working outside of school hours for the school was a very stressful job; one of the consequences of stress include acne, stomach ache, and weight gain. Aang decided to intensify those problems by having the committee over for Pizza, an excuse to celebrate finishing every detail for the Halloween event, and to solemnly swear to never work for the school again, though they'll probably do it again eventually, extra credit doesn't grow on tree and neither do scholarships.

"Aang stop— Stop that!— No!— I'm going to—" Too late, Sokka snorted all the diet Pepsi out of his nose. The laughter of Toph and Aang thundered through the house. "Stop tickling me while I'm drinking!"

Katara stared at Aang as she wriggled on the fuzzy white carpet, when his eyes caught her she quickly directed her view to the floor.

Okay, so maybe the whole 'avatar' thing still roamed through her mind; and she admitted it, she ended up buying the DVD when she wasn't on her shift... because to be honest it would be embarrassing if it ended up being Aang the kid on the show and he were to see her with it. Anyway, she may have seen a couple of episodes (or maybe all of them), she had her doubts and... she still has them; she was realistic, the chances were slim that it was actually him, mostly because she has never met a celebrity before... and how wild it would be that suddenly it happened to be your friend?

"Katara... you've been staring at the floor for some time now... Are you okay?" Sokka's voice pierced through her ears.

She sighed. "Uhh... _bathroom?_ "

Aang was about to answer but Sokka did instead, "the left hall, second door to the right."

"Wow, those Jalapeños really did you wrong Sokka," Toph commented.

* * *

Katara slipped out of the bathroom and made her way through the hall. She was surprised to hear the music playing louder than before and every now and then she could listen to a few voices that didn't belong to her friends, she dismissed it as probably being from Monk Gyatso's acquaintances (though, he wasn't even here). Her foot tangled itself with a box and she tripped face to the floor, Katara rubbed her nose frantically and kicked the box with disdain.

Her mouth opened in shock when she arrived to the main room; there was a party going on. She wasn't shocked because _there-was-a-party-going-on!_ , she was shocked because she only went to the bathroom for five minutes, and already 30 people where here, and worst of all... she was wearing the same clothes she wore that morning in school!

Her eyes scanned through the room in search for a familiar face; there was Jet... but he was too busy doing shots, there was Zuko... but he was too busy fighting with her sister, there was Suki... but she was too busy playing Spin The Bottle.

"Katara!"

Her face lit up in relief when she heard Aang's voice; he waved next to the plasma TV where he was chattering with Shoji and On Ji.

"Hey!" On Ji replied with a smile, which soon turned into a look of concern. "Your nose.. It's bleeding."

Katara brushed a hand to her nose, she stepped back once she felt the blood. On Ji tugged on Aang's shirt, he was talking with Shoji so he didn't pay attention, she tugged harder this time, she didn't even have time to speak before Aang turned around, his face full of concern, and asked, "What happened?"

"I just tripped on a box." Katara shrugged.

Aang ran a hand through his forehead. "This is.. all my fault— I should have moved the box when Gyatso told me..." He sighed. "Come on-" he motioned for her to follow "-I need help finding the First Aid kit."

* * *

"Okay, so, why is there suddenly a party?" Katara asked as she closed the door from the basement.

Aang lurked through the boxes and told, "Well... Toph dared Sokka to drink an expired beer and he, _somehow_ , got drunk and called everyone to come..."

"Oh... Why am I not _shocked_?" Katara smiled as she sat on a box.

She muttered an " _ouch_ " when she felt a sharp object on her butt cheek. She picked it and examined, it was the very same DVD she was having a dilemma over. "Nice series," Katara commented purposely.

Aang turned his head to face her, he gulped once he saw the DVD. "I guess..."

"The kid..." She pointed to the face on the DVD. "He seems familiar."

"Maybe...—Hey, umm, I found the kit!"

* * *

Once it had been an habit of Toph to stay over at Aang's, until she realized that it obviously wasn't politically correct because of heteronormativity and that meant her parents would probably press charges of sexual harassment against Aang, but luckily her parents were out of town like... all the time, and her nanny thought Aang was gay, so she could sleep at Aang's at least for today, because definitely the last thing she wanted to do at the moment was come home drunk and have to make some effort into trying to not bump into anything.

Toph let out a muffled scream. Aang raised his eyebrows and shook Toph by the shoulders. "What's wrong?!"

"My cane! It's—It's gone!"

Aang's eyes were wide open in astonishment.

"Well, Twinkletoes... Say something!"

"I... I—"

"Forget it! Let's just go to school..." She freed herself from his grip and reluctantly grabbed her backpack from the rack next to the door. "This ought to teach us to not do more parties on weekdays..."

* * *

Katara fidgeted on the cushioned seat, her eyes tempted by the screen, its brightness the only thing lighting the room, her hand warily moving the mouse around the pad. She positioned her fingers on the board and was about to write until—

"Katara! Hurry up! We're going to be late!"

She sighed. She would have to postpone her lurking. "Well... Don't blame me! I'm not the one going to school with a hangover!"

* * *

"Don't get me wrong Aang, I like Katara, especially when she does my homework, and Sokka, and Zuko, but... it really has been a long time since we've hung out alone. I kind of missed this."

"Yeah, me too." Aang nodded his head with a grin.

"You're paying for the ice creams, right?" Toph queried.

Aang stared at the girl with a blank face. " _Right_?" She repeated.

He scratched his head once he recalled she was blind. "Sure!"

"You sound gloomy."

Aang sighed. "I asked Gyatso again and he—"

"Let me guess," She interjected. "He said having a dog was a great responsibility and a bunch of monk stuff— _Puh-lease_ , as if taking care of a dog would be that hard..."

"Tell me about it..."

"You know, there are online games where you can take care of a virtual dogs." Toph took out her tongue and licked the ice cream that dripped down her hand.

Aang crinkled his nose in disgust. "Did you find your cane?"

The bling girl made a slurping sound and replied, "Zuko had it; he said he kept it because he thought I already left and he's going to come drop it off tonight." She smiled

"That's nice. So your parent's aren't going to kill you then?"

"Oh, yes they are. I called in third period to inform them and they sounded pretty mad so... I think I might be grounded."

" _Shocking_ ," He replied sarcastically as he made quotation marks with his fingers. Toph laughed and punched his arm.

* * *

"Zuko invited me to the movies and he was wondering if you wanted to come?"

Katara was thankful her brother interrupted once again; because she didn't know what she would have done to herself if she had actually pressed the 'enter' button.

She (hesitantly) waited all day for the moment to sit in front of the computer screen, but she knew better than to not mind her business, so she let out a sigh of relief.

"Only if he pays!"

* * *

Toph rolled her eyes when the maid told that her parents weren't home; she handed Toph her newly returned cane and made an inaudible comment about 'bathroom cleaning being hard as it is'. She sauntered her way to her bedroom without the canes help, she's lived there long enough to know every object and every corner that adorned the hall, she's lived there long enough to arrive without a single scratch (unless she were drunk).

She eagerly got rid of the expensive pair of shoes her mom loved to unnecessarily gift, she felt better without them, though, it did feel kind of icky sometimes (not that she cared); this was no different case, a pool of water drowning her feet. She was about to denounce the problem to the maid but she heard a bark.

Toph blinked three times before warily extending her hand to touch; she was met with a warm and wet tongue feeling it. It barked again. "Um.. _Bangzhu_?"

"Miss BeiFong?" The maid replied.

"What... What is this thing?"

"It's a dog, Miss BeiFong."

Toph swallowed and with the clean hand she ruffled her hair, she asked, "And... why is it here?"

"It's a gift from Ms. and Mrs. BeiFong, they explicitly told me to tell you that it served for seeing purposes, Miss BeiFong."

"Oh..."

Now what? She was stuck with a dog she didn't ask for and didn't _need_ , and she obviously couldn't take it back. "Well... Everything will be fine as long as you don't eat my stuff," Toph warned the dog.

The dog gagged and she felt an object drop to her feet.

"...Starting now."

* * *

Aang's smile wore-out once he got inside the house, the aftermath of Sokka's unpredictability being the biggest factor. The hot sticky liquid called 'Booze' drenched the wooden floor, the furniture was out of place, and a bunch of underwear laid around the scenery. His finger made contact with his eyes and they rubbed them in tiredness, he didn't even question why anyone would ever leave their underwear but not their pants— or belts for that matter (or even shoes), instead he went straight to his bedroom; Gyatso was away so he would deal with the cleaning tomorrow.

Once his body was tucked warm, he pondered about what Toph said earlier, and she was right... maybe he should focus on raising a virtual dog; it was better than being lonely at home (not that it would change much the ambient, but it would nonetheless).

The sun glistered through the window glass and he awoke. It was a Wednesday, a Wednesday where he had to go to school. He didn't want to, but responsibility always won.

As he poured milk onto his cereal he thought about checking out the virtual dog he birthed throughout the press of a button before drifting off to sleep. He did, and the dog was hungry, and he fed him, and the dog was dirty, and he cleaned him, and his cereal softened with the milk, and he ignored it, and the dog was bored, and he played with him, and the dog...

* * *

Katara let out and offended gasp at Toph's declaration; when she said " _I think Aang might be ignoring me_ " she didn't expect for Toph to agree.

Toph laughed and Katara's eyebrows found themselves pressing tighter by the second. She shook her head and pouted. "You really think so?" Her voice full of concern.

Toph's laughter halted. "What? No! I was just joking... C'mon, let's just go to his home. The faster I get away from this dog the better."

"Aww, but he's really cute!" Katara claimed as she patted his head, the dog replied by licking her hand, she grimaced. "On the other hand..."

The dog was pretty eager, seen by how he longed for escaping the leash he was being kept on, Katara fought to keep it him in place. "No! Bad dog! Don't—" Katara punished.

The dog obliged and Katara sighed in relief, suddenly a bad smell clogged her nose, she looked down; the doog had pooped. "Ew. Ew. Eww!"

Toph's eyebrow quirked in question. "What now?"

"Did you bring the cleaning bags?"

"Cleaning bags? I thought you brought them."

"I told _you_ to bring them!" Katara insisted.

"But why would _I_ bring them? I'm blind! I can't even use them!"

Katara growled and crossed her arms. "Fine... whatever! Let's just hope the neighbors don't sue us!"

Toph nodded. Katara uncrossed her arms and was about to carry on with her dog walking charity; her mouth widened just like her eyes. "Toph..."

"What?"

"The dog..."

Toph pulled her head back and a sigh escaped her lips. "He's gone..." She guessed.

"...Yes." Katara answered with a sheepish grin.

* * *

"Aww..." Aang cooed as he observed his puppy play with the other virtual dogs.

The bell rang and he ignored it, it probably was another girl scout, he was broke, couldn't they see that?

The ball rang consistently now, and for the first time of the day he paused the game. He opened the door, it was a frowning Toph and a desperate Katara. "Twinkletoes? Why the hell didn't you go to school today?"

Aang gawked and his eye twitched. "I didn't?"

Toph nodded. He observed his watch, it was 4pm, _and he didn't go to schoo_ l. He held a hand to his heart and stepped back. "I.. I—"

Suddenly his gaze shifted to Katara; she looked constipated (thank to the spirits she wasn't).

"What... What's wrong?" He asked with confusion.

Katara just threw herself into Aang's arm, Toph rolled her eyes. "Listen Aang, if you would have answered my calls you would have known that my parents gifted me a dog, and that Katara lost it."

Katara cried out exaggeratedly, "Poor dog, he must feel so alone!"

Aang met Toph with an amused face, she responded by spinning her finger around the brain area and mouthing ' _She's crazy_ '. Aang patted Katara's back reassuringly. "It's okay. We'll find him."

"But first, I have to check on my virtual dog," Aang added.

Katara and Toph exchanged critical looks. "You didn't go to school because of a fake dog?" Katara questioned.

"He's real in my heart and I didn't even know I didn't go to school... so it's not entirely my fault."

Katara shrugs it off and she's headed to the door, Toph already was outside, she's about to meet her but she noticed Aang was still in his previous spot. "Aang..."

"Yeah?"

"Come on..."

He remembered, and packed his phone on his pocket. "Right."

" _Wait!_ " She stretched her palm to stop him.

"What?"

"You can't go out to the streets in pajamas."

* * *

"Aang! Stop checking out your cellphone! There is a lost dog!"

Aang stopped dead on tracks. "What?" He looked up from his phone.

"Just move! You're in the middle of the road!" Katara shouted judgmentally.

"Well, maybe we can find him faster if we shout his name."

Toph's facial features stretched into a sheepish grin. "I didn't name him..."

"Why wouldn't you name your dog?" Aang questioned her sanity.

"Because it didn't feel right! I couldn't name him Genji then for him to turn out to be a Kyle!"

"I'm tired. Can't we sit down for a while?" He puppy-eyed Katara, who frowned in return.

"Aang, this is no time for laziness! Now get out of the road before you get yourself killed!"

"Yes, ma'am!"

* * *

"Aang! Stop playing on your stupid phone and help us get up!"

He adverted his eyes from the screen. "What?"

Toph and Katara were soaked in mud, head to toes. After minutes of Aang's unrelenting quest for relaxation, they had decided to go rest at the nearest park, for their luck the unnamed dog was chasing butterflies around the field, Katara started approaching him with silent and graceful steps, which the dog soon noticed and ran away around the lagoon; eventually Katara caught his leash and handed it to Toph, despite the fact that Toph was strong, she was still a lightweight, so the dog ended up dragging them both into the lagoon; all while Aang played with his virtual dog.

Aang guarded his phone at his usual spot, he took hold of his friends respective hands, and with a sly smirk they pulled him underwater.

"Was that even necessary?!" He protested while surfacing from the mud.

"Yes!" The girls concluded.

The dog's head emerged from the water, he swam up to Aang, threw himself on top and started licking his face.

* * *

Katara adjusted herself on the park bench as she observed Aang blithely play with the dog from afar, she licked her lips and rubbed her arm.

"What's eating you up Sugar Queen? I can smell the tension from here."

Katara heaved a sigh, and she worried that she had been doing this way too much lately. "Aang— I mean... It's just that... Okay I'll tell you, but don't tell Aang I said this."

Toph slowly rolled her eyes, threating this as another of her over-exaggerations. "You have a crush on him."

Katara tilted her head to the side and squinted. "What? _No_ ," She responded casually.

"Oh. Proceed then."

"Well, the other we were closing up the store, and—"

"You kissed him!"

Katara growled. "No! Do you want to hear the story or not?!"

"Ugh, fine."

"Well, it was closing time," She hurried explaining, " And I had to do some things, and I came across a DVD!"

Toph lifted her brows. "That's it?"

"Yes— No, well, look, I think Aang might have been the kid from the DVD!"

"That I'm what?" Aang asked as lunged an arm to each girl from behind the bench.

"Umm... A virtual dog addict?" Katara grinned foolishly.

"Well... I'm working on that." He smiled to Katara. The dog barked in his defense.

* * *

His face molded into one of consternation; Gyatso was home, and _home_ was still trashed.

"I'm doomed," Aang stated. The dog whimpered upon feeling his blue aura.

Katara reached for his arm. "We'll help you."

Toph leaned closer and whispered to her ear, " _Are you sure you guys didn't kiss._ " Katara frowned.

Toph grinned at Aang, he responded with a look of confusion. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"You'll see," She replied with smugness.

Aang licked his lower lip before inserting the key into the lock, he bit the inside of his cheek and finally opened the door.

His jaw dropped when he found the house to be completely clean and... _Sokka?_

"Ho- How?" Aang questioned to Toph.

Toph smirked. "Well..."

 _Toph forcefully slammed Sokka's locker in a (successful) attempt to get his attention. "Are you crazy?! You could have sliced my fingers off!"_

 _She grabbed Sokka by the shirt and pulled him closer in a threatening manner. Sokka gulped. "Listen up asshole! I just got gifted a dog_ — _"_

 _"A dog?!" Katara cooed. "Maybe we could go promenade him after school!"_

 _Toph met Katara with a frown. "Promenade?_ — _You know what... it doesn't matter." She pulled Sokka's shirt tighter. "Okay so I don't want that dog, and I'm totally planning to give it to Aang. But... that's not going to happen if his house looks a mess. So you have to clean it!"_

 _"Me?! Why?! This is so unfair!"_

 _Toph let go of him and he fell butt to the floor. "Because, if you haven't noticed, you were the one that promoted the party in the first place."_

"So that's why I'm here!" Sokka finished.

* * *

Katara wrapped the white towel over her newly cleaned hair. "So how did you name him?"

The dog licked Katara's black suede shoes and Aang chuckled. "Appa."

Katara smiled and she sat next to him on the white cushioned couch. She stared at him for a couple seconds. "Aang?"

"Yes?" He threw the tennis ball into the backyard for Appa to catch.

"I... I'm sorry if I sound nosey or anything, but I was really curious and I was wondering—"

"Yes," He interjected. And Katara looked confused. He added, "I am the kid from the series."

"Oh... and why didn't you tell me back there in the basement?" Katara asked with an idle smile.

"Well... I don't know... contrary to popular belief, it's not like I had the greatest time doing it. I just didn't know how you'd react..."

Katara tilted her head to the side. "React like what? You know that I don't care about that, and frankly, I'm kind of offended that you would think I would," She said lightly as she pressed her head against his shoulder.

Aang gave her a full-fleshed smile. "Well, I'm glad for once that it hasn't changed anything for us."

Katara lips outstretched into blissful grin. "Totally agree."

Katara snuggled closer to him as they observed Sokka trying to fetch the ball from Appa. She wondered about what he meant when he said he didn't have the greatest time, but she shrugs it off, she trusts him, and she feels like he does too, when he's ready he will tell her and she would listen.

"TOPH! TELL APPA TO GIVE ME BACK MY SHOE!"

"You bought this on yourself, Snoozles!" And the sound of Toph's laughter was the last thing she heard before drifting off to sleep in his arms.


End file.
